Praying for a Miracle
by jdub13899
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH!  Sequel to Looking to the Future - Joelle couldn't be happier, planning a wedding and doing what she loves most, fishing.  However, disaster strikes, which may force Crosby to make a decision that could change their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

Here is my new story. It is the sequel to Looking to the Future. I have had this in my head since I started writing THAT story, so it has been brewing in my brain since then, and now I am finally getting it written out.

Please tell me what you think. It is definitely still in the beginning stages, but I hope you all enjoy! Please review! :)

Oh, and I don't think you will have to read Looking to the Future to understand what is going on. I am going to try to make it so that people won't get lost. :)

* * *

Joelle sat on the bench next to her friends, watching the baseball game that played out before them. It was the last baseball match of the season that Crosby, as well as her other friends were in, and Joelle tried to attend every one she could. It was the first year that they all joined the baseball league, and the guys seemed to really enjoy it.

"Are we winning? I haven't been paying attention." Joelle asked, turning to her friend Lindsay.

"We are losing." She responded, taking a sip of her water.

"We totally suck this year." Joelle said, making a face.

"They just haven't figured out how to play well with each other, that's all." Jackie said.

Joelle laughed at the comment, then bit her lips and covered her mouth.

"You know, Joelle, you have a nasty mind." Jackie commented, hitting her upside her head.

Joelle smiled, sitting back in her chair.

"You leave soon, don't you?" Charissa asked, looking over at Joelle.

"In a couple of days, we are heading up there."

"The boat's already there, or are you driving it?" She asked her, giving Dillon, one of her sons, a juice box.

"It's still there from Salmon season." Joelle said, glancing at her.

"Well at least you don' to drive the boat up there. Makes the trip up faster."

"I'd rather be on the boat. Airplanes bore me." Joelle said, making a face.

"The girl that would rather be on a boat 365 days a year, doesn't even own a boat. What's wrong with this picture." Lindsay joked.

"I technically own part of the Northwestern, so that should count, right?"

"That doesn't count. I think one of us should get a boat. One that we can all enjoy during the summer out on the water. One that doesn't smell like rotten fish." Jackie said, glancing at Joelle.

"I can't help how the Northwestern smells. It's a fishing boat."

"My point is, we need a boat for leisure." Lindsay added.

"You guys get right on that." Charrisa said. "I know I can't afford that shit."

"Who can?" Lindsay asked.

Joelle's three friends turned and looked at her.

"What?" She asked.

"You make more money than any of us."

"Yeah, right." Joelle said, glancing right at Lindsay.

"What?"

"You are now a lawyer. I don't even want to hear that you don't make more money than I do."

"Yeah, that's true." Jackie said, turning towards her friend with a smile.

Just then, Joelle heard everyone in the crowd cheer. She looked out at the game and saw that their team had hit the ball and she watched as Lindsay's boyfriend, Chris, run the bases, bringing in a couple runs.

"Now what's the score?" Joelle asked, leaning towards Charissa.

"We are actually tied right now."

"Yeah right." Joelle giggled.

"Seriously."

"You are saying, on the last game of the season, we may finally win a game?"

"We can't lose them all!" Lindsay said, leaning back in her chair.

"Well, we could…" Jackie trailed off.

"Excuse me." Someone said, walking up to them at that point.

"Yeah?" Lindsay asked.

"Um, aren't you the girl from that show?" The gentleman asked Joelle.

"Depends on what show you are talking about." Joelle said with a smile.

"You're the crazy chick from the Deadliest Catch."

"Then yes, that would be me." She said, nodding.

"Can I get your autograph?" He asked.

She nodded, and she watched as he handed her a magazine. She smiled when she realized it was the Playboy magazine she was on the cover of.

"Something tells me you knew I was going to be here." Joelle said, smiling at the gentleman.

"I knew that my friend was going to be playing against your boyfriend, and I had to be here for it." He confessed.

Joelle signed the front cover, and handed him the magazine back.

"Thank you so much." He said, smiling at her.

"Not a problem." She answered, and then watched as he left.

"Does that ever get awkward for you?" Jackie asked her.

"Not really. Sometimes I get asked at odd times where I wish I could be left alone, however, I find it flattering. It's cool that people look up to me."

"I'm glad I'm not famous." Charissa stated.

"Not me. I want my name out there. The more my name is out there, the more clients I get." Lindsay responded.

Joelle heard everyone in the stands start to cheer. She looked to see what was going on in the game, and saw that they were finished.

"Did we win?" Joelle asked.

"How bad is it that I have no clue." Jackie answered, making a face.

The girls all clapped, standing up. She watched as Crosby and the rest of her friends' guys run up towards them.

"We need to go out and celebrate now." Crosby said, as they all came up to them.

"Did you win?" Lindsay asked.

"Wait, you guys weren't paying attention?" Chris asked her.

"Of course we were. You guys rocked it." Jackie said, smiling.

"You are such a liar." Her husband stated, pulling her hat down in her face.

"I'm going to go for a yes, since you want to celebrate." Joelle said, smiling at Crosby.

"Is that your final answer?" He asked her as he watched her gather her things.

"Definitely."

"Too bad, you lose." Ryan said, smiling.

"You lost?" Jackie asked.

"Of course we did. You didn't see one of the guys on the other team just hit a home run?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go with a no on that one." Joelle answered.

"Hey, you got one right." Crosby said, putting his arm around her, smiling.

"Then what the hell are we celebrating?" Lindsay asked as they started walking towards their cars.

"The fact that we didn't kill each other this season. And the fact that we actually finished the season." Chris answered.

"I say that's a good enough reason to celebrate. Bonfire at our place?" Crosby offered.

"We could head over there now?" Charissa suggested.

"I have to pick up Kendra from the airport." Joelle said to Crosby quietly, talking about her best friend Kendra Wilkinson.

"When does she land?" He asked her.

Joelle glanced at her watch quickly.

"In an hour."

"Fine, meet us in a few hours at our place. If someone wants to get the food and beer, by the time we get back, we'll be ready." Crosby said to them.

Everyone agreed, and Joelle and Crosby got into his car and headed towards the airport.

"What time is your appointment tomorrow?" Crosby asked as he watched Joelle light a cigarette.

"We have to be there at ten. I can't believe I am finally picking out my dress." Joelle said with a big grin.

"I can't believe you haven't already gone shopping." He confessed.

"I wanted Kendra to be here, and this was the first time she could come out. Plus, I wanted to get it right before the season started, that way when I got back, it was here, and ready for the first fitting. I am always in my best shape after King Crab season."

"Who's going with you?"

"Kendra, Grandma, June, and Sig." She said, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"Have you asked Sig yet?"

"Ask him what?" She asked.

Crosby gave her a look out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, no. I was going to ask him tomorrow while I try on dresses." She said. "I'm just afraid that Edgar and Norman will be upset I didn't ask them to walk me down the aisle."

"They know you have always had that special connection with Sig. They won't get mad at you. It just seems right that Sig gives you away at the wedding."

Joelle nodded.

"Did you ask them if they wanted to go pick out the dress tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but they don't want to see it. They want to wait until the wedding day."

"I agree. I don't want to see it either." He said with a smile.

"Good, because it's bad luck to see the dress before the wedding." She joked.

They arrived at the airport right before Kendra's plane was supposed to land, and they met up with her at baggage claim.

"I have missed you so much." Kendra said, giving Joelle a hug.

"Me too. We need to not have this big break in between visits." Joelle said to her.

"Agreed. Did you win your game today?" She asked Crosby.

"Yeah right. " Crosby joked.

"Let's get your bag. We are having a bonfire tonight." Joelle said, going towards the baggage belt to grab Kendra's things.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I still can't believe Hank asked to keep little Hank home this weekend. I thought for sure I'd have a baby attached at my hip."

"I bet you wish that you would have still brought him, huh?" Joelle asked her.

"Yeah. I miss him like crazy." She responded, making a face.

They grabbed Kendra's things, and then headed back towards the house, both girls chatting the whole way home.

"Why are you so quiet?" Joelle asked Crosby as they walked into the house.

"Just listening to you two chatterbox's go on and on. Hard to get a word in." He joked, smiling at her.

"Have lots of catching up to do." Kendra said, taking one of her bags to the guest bedroom. She was following Crosby, who was carrying her other bag for her.

"I'm going to get the firepit going." Crosby said. Joelle quickly gave him a kiss, smiling at him, before he headed outside.

"Look at you, looking all domesticated and shit. When did this happen?" Kendra joked, leaning against the kitchen counter as she watched Joelle bring two glasses out of the cubbard.

"Look who's talking." Joelle replied, putting ice in the glasses.

"Never in a million years did I see either of us in the position we are in a couple years ago."

Joelle laughed.

"Honestly, though, I kind of like it." She said, pouring Crown Royal into both glasses. She then added coke to it, before handing Kendra a glass.

"Oh, I wouldn't change anything about my life. But did you see us here back then?"

"I saw you still partying still, and me becoming a captain of a crab boat, alone, and very old looking, but yet, only being thirty." Joelle said, making a face.

"Now you are going to do that, but be married!"

Joelle laughed.

"I do not want to be captain." Joelle stated, taking a dip of her drink.

"Bullshit. You have been eying that spot for as long as I have known you. You are a liar."

Joelle laughed.

"Come on. Let's go outside. I want a cigarette."

The two of them headed out to the back porch so Joelle could have a cigarette, and the group started to show up at that point.

"Kendra, I want you to take a picture of the dress Joelle gets tomorrow. I want to see it." Lindsay said.

"No, I want no evidence of this dress. I don't want him to accidentally see it." Joelle said, shaking her head.

"I won't take a picture." Kendra said. She watched Joelle turn her head, and then she nodded at Lindsay, giving her the thumbs up, signaling that she would do it.

"You guys are getting married, what, a couple weeks after opie season, right?" Jackie asked Joelle and Crosby.

"Yeah." Crosby answered.

"So, who is doing all of the planning while you guys are fishing?" She asked.

"I already picked out what I wanted, but June and Linda are doing all of that for us." Joelle said.

"So, wait, you are pretty much having a wedding planned for you?"

Joelle nodded, taking a sip of her drink.

"How lucky are you? No stress, you just come home to a wedding." Charissa asked.

Joelle laughed.

"I have a feeling the last two weeks will be stressful enough." Crosby noted.

"And we have already done a lot of the legwork. They are just making sure it gets ordered. But believe me, I am very grateful for my aunts right now."

"I can't wait for the wedding. One, you'll be home for a few months. And two, it's going to be gorgeous, and you two deserve this great night."

Joelle glanced over at Crosby, who was sitting next to her, and he smiled at her.

"I can't help but agree." He said, watching her.

* * *

There you have it! Please tell me what you think! Definitely appreciated! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews so far! Glad that you like it so far. Definitely in the beginning stages, but I'm hoping you all will continue to enjoy. I was watching "Say Yes to the Dress" while writing this story (new favorite show right now...haha) so it probably will sound a little like it.

Also, won't be able to update for two weeks. Heading up north to visit family/friends for 2 weeks, so sorry ahead of time. Please review though, because it gives me something to look at while Im waiting at the airport. :)

* * *

Joelle and Kendra walked up the pathway to Sig and June's house the next morning. They made their way inside, and they were immediately greeted by Nina and Mandy.

"What kind of dress do you want to get?" Mandy asked as she watched Joelle take a coffee cup out of the cubbard, and then went to pour herself a cup.

"I don't know. I kind of like the strapless dresses, but I have such muscular arms that it might not look good. I guess I will just have to try it on to see how it looks."

"Have you looked through magazines at all?" Nina asked.

"Of course." She said with a smile.

"So have we." Nina said, bringing the magazine she was hiding behind her back.

"Let me guess, you have picked something out that I should look for?" Joelle asked, leaning against the kitchen island.

"We both like this one." She said, opening the magazine to show her cousin.

Joelle looked at the picture of a dress that had one strap of diamonds, and was fitted through the bust and waist area, and then flowed below that. It was a gorgeous dress that Joelle was actually surprised her cousins picked out for her.

"I really like it." Joelle said, smiling.

"It's a very pretty dress." Kendra agreed, looking at the picture over Joelle's shoulder.

"I will take this with me, and if they have it, I will definitely try it on." Joelle said, folding down the corner of the page to bookmark the spot in the magazine. She then put it in her purse, so she wouldn't forget the picture.

"Did you drink all of my coffee?" Sig asked, walking into the kitchen at that point.

"I don't go through it like it's candy like you do." Joelle responded to her uncle, watching him pour himself a cup of coffee.

"You guys are here. Where is your mother at?" June asked Sig as she walked into the kitchen.

"She should be here soon." Sig answered, taking a sip of his coffee as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Too bad we can't come with you." Nina said, making a face.

"I want you to be surprised." Joelle said, smiling at her cousin.

"What happens if you don't find a dress today?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah, you leave for Alaska in two days." Nina added.

"I'll find a dress today. I won't leave until I find one."

"You mean we will be there all day today if you don't find a dress?" Sig asked.

Joelle nodded.

"Why is it that I am going again?" Sig asked, turning to June. She only responded by slapping him on the shoulder.

"Because you love me, and your opinion matters to me, that's why." Joelle said with a grin.

"That's just what I lead you to believe." Sig joked, grinning at his niece.

"I am here." Snefrid said, walking into the house at that moment.

"Perfect, let's get this show on the road."

"Where did my keys go?" Joelle asked, looking through her purse.

"Doesn't matter. We can't fit into your car anyway." Sig said, leading Joelle out of the house.

"I would kind of like to know where they are." She said, glancing around for them. She never got the chance to find them, since Sig pushed her out the front door. Everyone climbed into Sig and June's car, and Sig drove towards the wedding boutique.

When they arrived, they made their way inside and Joelle went to check in. They were about ten minutes early for the appointment, and while they waited, Joelle and Kendra walked around the main lobby looked at the different dresses.

"Hey, do I know you?" Someone asked, walking up to the two of them.

"Depends." Joelle answered, smiling at the lady standing in front of them.

"My fiancé watches Deadliest Catch all the time. He got me hooked. You are definitely an inspiration to all of us girls out there that get told we can't do something, just based on gender. Thank you for that."

Joelle smiled at the compliment.

"Are you getting married?"

Joelle nodded.

"To Crosby? You two are so cute together."

"Thank you. Congrats to you and your fiancé as well." Joelle said, smiling at her.

She nodded.

"Joelle, they are ready for us." June said, coming up to them.

"Nice meeting you." Joelle said to the woman. Her and Kendra then walked away towards where the dressing attendant was waiting.

"You must be the bride to be." Lisa, the attendant said.

"That would be me." Joelle said with a smile.

"Follow me to our dressing area."

Lisa led the way to an area that was off away from everyone else so that there wasn't a crowd watching them, since people were starting to recognize Sig and Kendra as well as Joelle. Joelle didn't want a crowd for this, wanting to only keep her family in on the event.

"So, what are you looking for?" Lisa asked after everyone took their seats.

"Well, my cousin wanted me to try this." Joelle said, grabbing the bridal magazine that she had in her purse. She handed it over to Lisa.

"I think we have something similar to this, but not exact, but I will take a look. What else?"

"I want to try on strapless. I have very muscular arms, so I don't know how it would look, but I want to try it. I like the one strap idea, or even two straps. But I do want fitted, and then want it to drape out past the waist."

Lisa nodded.

She went off to look for dresses for Joelle to try on, and it was then that she started to get excited.

"Just look at you smile." Snefrid said. "You are glowing, and you haven't even tried a dress on."

"I'm just excited. I have always dreamed about wedding dress shopping. I just didn't know if this time would ever come."

"Of course it would come. You just needed to find the right guy, and you definitely did in Crosby."

Joelle nodded in agreement.

"Just wish your mother could have been here." Snefrid said, smiling at Joelle.

Joelle's smile left her face at the comment, and she just stared at her grandmother.

"Why would you say that?" Sig asked his mother. "It's not like she hasn't thought it, so why bring it up?"

Joelle sighed. Sig was right. It was on her mind, the fact that her mother nor brother were around to witness the occasion, but she was trying to not let it bring her down. She knew that they were there in spirit.

"Alright, I have a couple dresses for you to try." Lisa said, walking back to the room. She walked into the dressing room with them, and Joelle followed her inside, grateful for a reason to leave the room and get away from the conversation.

"Seriously, Mom, why would you bring that up?"

"I know that she is here in spirit, but I thought she should have at least been mentioned."

"Joelle was doing so well. Can we not bring them up again?"

Snefrid ignored her sons comment, sitting quietly as she waited for her granddaughter to come out of the dressing room. Kendra glanced over at June, who just gave her a small smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"Alright, we're coming out." Joelle said from behind the dressing room door. She came out, first in the dress that her cousins had wanted her to try out. She was smiling as she stepped in front of the mirrors, examining herself.

"My daughters do have good taste." Sig said, smiling.

"It's not exactly what is in the magazine, but it's close." Joelle stated, looking at herself in the mirror.

"It definitely looks great on you, but what wouldn't?" June stated, smiling at her niece.

"You guys aren't acting the way I would have hoped." Joelle noticed, watching everyone in the mirror.

"I was hoping for a wow factor, and I don't see it with this dress." Kendra said.

Joelle nodded.

"It's a gorgeous dress, don't get me wrong, but I think there is a better one out there for you."

"Then let's go for the next dress." Joelle said, smiling.

The two girls went back into the dressing room to try on another dress.

"So, Kendra, when is your flight?" June asked, trying to make light conversation.

"I leave later tonight. Want to get home to my little man." She said, smiling.

"That was very sweet of you to come out for this." Snefrid said. "I know that Joelle appreciates it."

"She's my best friend. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

A few moments later, Joelle walked out of the dressing room laughing. She struggled to walk out to the mirrors, and she saw everyone stifling their smiles.

"I feel like a marshmallow." Joelle said, laughing. She was wearing a strapless dress that was a princess style dress, and it consumed her.

"You look like you are being swallowed by the dress."

"That's how I feel." Joelle laughed.

"This is definitely a no from me." Sig said, laughing.

Joelle nodded, waddling back to the dressing room to take the dress off.

"Her arms didn't look very bad in the dress though." Kendra noted.

"It's also before king season. Her arms look different after King Season."

"I never even thought about that kind of things when I was dress shopping. She has thought of it all, hasn't she?"

"She has been planning this for years, like she has said. She knows what she looks in best."

Joelle suddenly walked out of the dressing room, beaming from ear to ear. She walked up in front of the mirrors, not able to speak. Everyone in the room watched her as she admired the dress she was wearing. It was a dress that had one strap with lace, and was form fitted from the top to her hips, and then fanned out past the hips. It was beaded with crystals throughout the gown with a gorgeous pattern that spread throughout.

"My beautiful girl. You look just like your mother in that dress." Snefrid said. "It is perfect."

"I didn't want to come out in this dress." Joelle said, in response to her grandmother.

"Joelle, you look amazing. Why didn't you want to show us this?" June asked.

"It's way out of my budget for a dress." Joelle said, shaking her head. "But Lisa insisted that I come out here. I don't even know why it was in the dressing room knowing I couldn't afford it."

"This dress was made for you." Kendra said. "There is no way you cannot get this dress."

Joelle shook her head, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She felt tears welling up with the sight of herself in that dress.

"Sig?" Joelle finally asked. He was just sitting in his spot, and he was beaming from ear to ear.

"You look amazing." He finally spit out. "You are beautiful in that dress."

She smiled at the comment.

"It doesn't matter what it costs. This dress is on me and your uncles." He said.

"What?" Joelle asked, spinning around to look at him.

"We wanted to get you your dress. I told Lisa to get whatever dress she thought you would look good in. Money is no object. It's our wedding gift to you." He said.

Joelle brought her hands up to her mouth, not believing what she was hearing.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am. You cannot let yourself walk away from this dress. You deserve this dress."

Joelle was shaking at this point. Sig stood up and walked over to her and gave her a hug.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you so much." She said, holding onto him.

"No problem. I couldn't be more proud right now seeing you in this dress."

Joelle smiled.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked, deciding it was the perfect time to ask him.

"Of course."

"Will you walk me down the aisle?" She asked him.

A smile crossed his face.

"You really want this old man walking you down the aisle?" He joked.

"Honestly, there isn't anyone I'd rather have give me away." She said. "You are more than a father to me than Larry ever was. If it weren't for you, I honestly don't think I'd be here right now."

"You don't give yourself much credit." Sig said to her, smiling. "And I would be honored."

She smiled at him.

"You found your dress!" Kendra yelled, trying to break up the sappiness.

Joelle smiled, looking back in the mirror. "Yes, I did."

* * *

There you have it! Hope you enjoyed! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the lack of updates - finally back from my vacation, and hopefully my life will start to calm down again, which means more time to write and update. :)

Please keep the reviews coming! I love to hear what you have to say! :)

* * *

Crosby drove up to the house and parked his car in the driveway and sat there for a moment. He had spent the day on the Wizard getting things done on the boat before their upcoming departure. He was leaving the next morning for Dutch Harbor, a day before Joelle was supposed to fly up, since he had to help get the boat up to Seattle. He saw that Joelle's car was parked next to his, and he wondered if Kendra was still at the house or if she had already taken her to the airport. As much as he loved having Kendra visit, and as happy as Joelle was when she was around, he was kind of hoping she was gone already, so he could spend the night alone with Joelle, since he wouldn't get the chance to do it again for a few months.

He crawled out of his car and walked in the front door of his cabin and was immediately hit with the sound of a Michael Jackson song coming from the kitchen. He set his keys on the table next to the front door, and then smiled to himself when he caught a glimpse of Joelle's keys under the nearby couch. He bent down and picked them up, setting them back on the table where they should have been, deciding to save Joelle the trouble of searching for them later.

He turned to head towards where the sound was coming from, and peaked around the corner to see Joelle, wearing one of his button up shirts and a pair of boyshorts, her hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail that was falling out, but she didn't seem to care. She was dancing in front of the stove as she was cooking them dinner. Every now and then, she would bring the spoon she was stirring with, up to her mouth to use as a microphone as she sang along with the song. He smiled to himself at the sight, and leaned against the door frame as he watched her dance, oblivious to his presence. She looked beautiful to him at that moment, and he couldn't help but feel like the luckiest man in the world.

Joelle suddenly spun around, belting out the words to the song with her eyes closed, and Crosby couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Joelle's eyes immediately opened at the sound of him there, and she smiled at him.

"How long were you there?" She asked, turning back towards the food to make sure everything was alright. She then turned the radio down so it wasn't as loud, then turned towards him.

"Long enough." He answered, smiling. He walked over to her and leaned against the counter next to the stove. He looked at the stove and saw that she was making spaghetti, which was going all out for her. "If I would have known this is how you cook our dinners, I would be home more often for when you cook."

"If I would have known that, I would have told you sooner." She said, leaning into him as she gave him a kiss.

"I see we're having your specialty again." He said, grabbing a couple plates out of the cubbard to set the table.

"Yeah, but I'm trying something new this time." She said.

Crosby spun around dead in his tracks at the comment.

"Aunt June gave me the recipe for her spaghetti sauce that I absolutely love, so I decided to try it out."

"Do I have to try it?" Crosby joked, making a face.

"Will you try it, knowing that I have this just in case?" She asked, grabbing a jar of spaghetti sauce that was sitting on the counter.

"Well, if you have that…" He stated, smiling at her.

"I really think I did well with this sauce though. I followed the directions very carefully."

He nodded, smiling at her.

"What do you want to drink?" He asked her.

"Just some water." She answered, pouring the sauce into a bowl. She then put the pasta in a serving dish as well, then put them on the table.

"I want you to be the first to try it." Joelle said to him as they sat down at the table.

"Why? Did you poison it so that I didn't have to leave tomorrow?" He asked.

"Wow, never thought of doing that. Good thinking. I'll try that next time." She joked.

Crosby grabbed a piece of the garlic bread that sat on the table, and then dunked it a little into the sauce, then stuck it in his mouth. Joelle watched him intently, waiting for a reaction.

"How much salt did it ask for?" He asked.

"1 tablesoon, why?" She asked.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, taking a drink of his soda that was on the table.

Joelle stood up and grabbed for the recipe, then handed it over to Crosby, who looked at it. A smile then crossed his face.

"What?"

"This is one teaspoon, babe. Not one tablespoon."

"No, that's not what it said." She said, snatching the piece of paper from him to look at it. She then made a face when she read it. "So, the little t means teaspoon. What does tablespoon look like?"

"Big T." He answered, smiling at her.

"Dammit. Is the sauce that bad?" She asked, dipping her finger in the sauce, then stuck it in her mouth. She then made a face.

"I'll heat up the jar sauce."

"I really thought I did well." She said, sounding defeated.

"Don't get down on yourself. I appreciate the effort."

She stood up and walked over to the counter next to the stove and sat up on it, watching Crosby pour the sauce into a pan.

"Did you find your dress?" Crosby asked her, standing in front of her as he ran his hands up her legs. He stopped at her hips, his hands under her shirt, as he fingered the edge of her boyshirts.

"Yes, I most certainly did. It brought Sig to tears, if that means anything." She said, her arms going around his neck.

"I can't wait to see it." He said, giving her a gentle kiss.

"You have a little while yet."

"I can be patient." He responded, kissing her again before breaking away from her to stir the bubbling sauce.

"When did Kendra leave?" He asked, glancing over at her.

"A couple hours ago. She was excited to get home to the baby, plus wanted us to have the evening alone, since you are leaving me tomorrow."

He nodded, pouring the sauce into a serving dish. They then sat down to eat dinner, Joelle moving the salty sauce out of the way.

"I will be gone only a day before you leave yourself. I will see you soon." He said.

"You won't actually arrive up there for a couple of days though. I wish I could ride up with you guys, like Keith had offered, but Sig wants to get started on the boat as soon as possible."

"You will be so wrapped up in your work, you won't even realize that I am not around."

"Probably. Edgar and I are tearing apart one of the engines when we get there. It was giving us problems during salmon season, and I suggested fixing it before we left, but Edgar wanted to get home."

"Understandable, but that just means a lot of work in a short period of time before we head out for the season."

"It's why we are leaving a week earlier than we normally do. Edgar and I leave in a couple days, but the rest of the guys don't join us for almost a week."

"Sounds like you will have a fun filled week."

"Oh yes, Edgar breathing down my neck making sure I do things right is my idea of a perfect week. You would think he would have calmed down by now, but unfortunately, he will never change."

"You are more like your uncles than you let on, ya' know."

"Am not!" She said, getting defensive.

Crosby only laughed at her reaction.

The two of them finished eating, and Crosby sat back in his chair, looking at the messy table, not wanting to clean it up.

"You know the rules. I cook, you clean." Joelle said from her seat with a smile.

"Technically, we both cooked, if you really think about it."

"Heating up a jar of spaghetti sauce doesn't count as cooking." She responded with a smile.

"You pass it off as cooking in the past."

Joelle smiled.

"I know what you are capable of. I, however, can only do that." Joelle said, then stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm starting to think you never learned how to cook for this exact reason." Crosby said as he stood up. He gave her a quick kiss, then started to gather the things on the table.

"Yes, I live to clean up all the time on the boat." Joelle said, making a face.

"Last I heard, the guys enjoy the arrangement that you guys have on the boat. And if you wear outfits like the one you are wearing now, I can't say I blame them."

Joelle smiled at him. "You figured out the biggest secret on the boat. Congrats."

"No wonder why you guys never have new people on the boat. No one ever leaves." He joked.

Joelle laughed as she started to help Crosby do the dishes.

The next morning, Joelle drove Crosby to the docks where the Wizard was docked, and then helped him carry his things to the boat.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Travis said when the two of them walked up to the ship.

"You know you are excited to see me. Don't lie to yourself." Joelle responded with a smile.

"Where's your stuff? I thought you were coming up with us." He asked when he saw only Crosby's things.

"Have to fly up tomorrow to work on the engine. Too much to do, not enough time to do it."

"Well there went my trip." Travis said, walking away.

Joelle shook her head as she watched Travis walk away from them.

"I won't keep you guys. I know you have stuff to do before you leave. I will see you in a few days." Joelle said, giving Crosby a quick kiss.

"Have a safe flight." Crosby told her, giving her a hug.

"You have a safe trip yourself."

Joelle quickly left to get to her uncles house. She already had her things packed and in her car, and wasn't planning on going back to her house anymore before the flight the next morning. When she got to the house, she made her way inside, and was greeted by Linda and June, who were sitting in the living room.

"You're here early." June said to her.

"Just dropped Crosby off at the docks, and now I'm here."

"You ready for a fun filled week?" Linda asked.

"With your husband riding my ass, oh yes. I always look forward to tearing apart the engine with him. It's what I live for."

"I have a feeling you get just as pissy with him as he does with you." Linda joked.

"You got that right. I was raised by those husbands of yours."

"You poor poor child." June joked.

Joelle walked into the kitchen to grab herself a bottle of water, and then walked out onto the back porch where the rest of her family was sitting.

"Heeey, you're here!" Edgar said, smiling at his niece.

"Hey, are you really drinking already?" She asked when she saw a beer in his hand. "It's only ten in the morning."

"5 o'clock somewhere." Norman said, taking a sip of his own beer.

"Who knows when we will get a chance to drink again, so I'm taking advantage of it today."

"Great, so I get to deal with a bitchy, hungover Edgar tomorrow? Joy." Joelle stated, sitting down next to Norman.

"You know, you really aren't a joy yourself." Edgar said, giving Joelle a look.

"I only take after the best."

"I can't believe we are leaving tomorrow." Edgar stated, getting grumpy.

"We didn't have to leave tomorrow, but no. You wanted to leave the engine for now, and not take care of it before. This isn't my fault."

"Why don't you go up, and start, and then I will join in a few days." He suggested.

"Why, so you can join me in a few days, and start bitching about how much I fucked things up? I think not. Plus, if the engine is badly broken, it will take both of us to fix it to make sure it is running fully in time before we head out."

"You're both going up, and that is final." Sig said, chiming in.

Edgar scowled, finishing off his beer. He then walked off the deck, going back inside.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Joelle asked Norman.

"Beats the shit out of me." He answered.

"This is going to be a fun week." Sig sarcastically stated. "Edgar is pissed, and you will just feed off of it."

"I don't get all bitchy like him. When he gets like this, he acts more like a female than I do."

"That is true." Norman said, nodding to himself.

"I think you should join us tomorrow." Joelle said to her uncle.

"Yeah, I'm not stupid." Norman said, laughing.

She made a face, taking a drink of her water.

The day was relaxing, everyone hanging around outside, talking about the upcoming fishing trip. Edgar did calm down, and she found him starting to enjoy himself. She only hoped that the new attitude carried on throughout the trip, and the cranky attitude stayed in Seattle.

* * *

There you have it! Please reivew and tell me what you think! I will love you forever! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates, but now that my other story is finished, I can now focus on this one. I hope you all are enjoying! Please review, because that lets me know if I should keep writing. Leave me comments on what you think should happen, because I have been known to change the path of stories because it gives me ideas for better story lines.

Thanks to those that have reviewed so far! You know who you are. :)

* * *

Joelle and Edgar got out of the truck that drove them to where the boat was at, and Joelle smiled at the sight of it. She loved the boat, and was excited to be back with it, even if she was getting ready to fix the engine with her cranky uncle. His mood was sour the moment they all said goodbye to the family, and Joelle didn't see it getting better anytime soon.

Edgar walked ahead of her and threw his bag on the deck before jumping aboard. Joelle followed suit, and the two of them quickly looked over the boat for any damage that could have been done while they were away.

"What do you want to do? Start with the engine, and then go shopping when we get hungry, or go shopping first and get it out of the way, then start the engine?"

"Why do I have to go shopping?" He crankily asked.

"Because I don't cook, so how in the hell do I know what you want to make?"

"So now you are telling me that I have to cook for you this week?"

"Not saying that at all wonderful uncle of mine. Just saying that I know you don't want me to cook for you, so how in the hell would I know what you want?" Joelle sarcastically asked.

Edgar mumbled to himself under his breath as he walked inside with his bag, heading towards his room. Joelle rolled her eyes, not looking forward to the week alone with him.

Joelle quickly put her things in her room that she was sharing with Jake Anderson, throwing her bag on her bed, and then went to the galley, where she smelt a foul smell.

"Edgar, do you smell that?" Joelle asked when he walked into the galley.

"Smells like your cooking." Edgar joked with a smile. It was the only smile she saw all day, and she only hoped it wasn't going to be his only one.

"Funny. Now seriously, what is it?"

"Smells like something died." He said, sniffing the air, trying to pinpoint where the smell was coming from. He started to move the seat cushions at the table, and then made a face as he backed away.

"What?" Joelle asked, looking at him.

"It looks like the pizza we got our last night on the boat." He said, making a face.

"Sometimes, I swear, I work with a bunch of pigs." Joelle said, gagging at the sight of the rotten pizza slice that Edgar was picking up. She held out the trash can, and then took the bag immediately outside to get rid of the stench. She then went back to the galley, where she saw Edgar spraying deodorizer.

"Are you ready to get to work now?" Joelle asked, wanting to get out of the galley. Edgar reluctantly agreed, and then stomped towards the engine room.

The two of them spent the majority of the day working on taking apart the engine. It ended up being a bigger project than either of them had anticipated, which made Joelle wish even more that they had started the project before heading home after salmon season, realizing it was something that might not even be ready by the start of the season. Edgar, however, didn't even want to hear it.

"I'm going to town for a drink. I'm over this tonight." Edgar said in the engine room, setting his wrench down.

"Am I allowed to join you, or are you going to put up more of a hissy fit?" Joelle asked, putting her hands on her hips staring at her uncle.

"Let me guess, you need to take a shower and get all dolled up?" He asked, wiping his greasy hands with a towel.

"I don't need to get dolled up. I would like, however, to wipe the grease off my face and arms, if that is okay with you."

"The second I see a skirt come out, I'm gone." He said, walking away from her. Joelle shook her head, following him out of the engine room.

Joelle walked into the bathroom and took a wash cloth and wiped her face. Once the grease was off, she pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail, put on a little bit of make-up, and then walked out of the bathroom, only to find that Edgar had left already. She grunted in frustration as she grabbed her purse and headed off the boat, running towards the Elbow Room. When she arrived, she opened the door, and immediately smiled when she saw a few familiar faces. She quickly ran up to Andy Hillstrand and jumped on his back, biting his neck gently. He spun around, startled, then laughed when he realized who was on his back.

"You would think I would know by now it was you." Andy laughed.

"It's the old age. Your mind is the first to go." She said, smiling at him.

"We were starting to wonder if you were going to join your uncle." Johnathan stated, taking a sip of his beer.

"We were supposed to come together, however, someone is an impatient ass today." Joelle retorted, glaring at her uncle.

"I saw the make-up come out, and I took that as my cue to leave."

"You said no skirts. Do you see me in anything different than what I was working in? I am definitely in all my glory right now."

"Yeah, well, I saw the prissy make-up come out, and that is almost as bad." Edgar said, smiling at his niece. She watched as Jamie, the bartender, set a crown and coke down in front of him, and he picked it up, handing it to her.

"You made up for it with the drink." She responded, taking a sip.

"Do I know the way to my nieces heart, or what?"

Joelle nodded, setting her drink down on the bar. She grabbed her uncle's cigarettes, and then helped herself to one.

"So, Joelle, did you hear what Discovery is having us do?" Johnathan asked, sitting back in his seat.

"Discovery makes you guys do stuff? I see who the chick is in that relationship."

"You know, I'll let that one slide for now, because I've got bigger things on my mind." He said, making a face at her.

"Alright, Ms. Hillstrand, what's your beef?" She asked, smiling at him.

"Well now I don't to tell you."

"Wow, that's not a girly thing to say at all." Edgar said quietly, but loud enough for them to hear.

Johnathan turned to walk away, but Joelle grabbed his arm, laughing.

"I'm kidding! Just tell me."

"You aren't the only chick on the block anymore." He said, taking a sip of his drink.

"What do you mean?"

"I hired some chick I don't even know to work as a greenhorn on the boat. I'm hoping to just keep her to the galley and make her cook, where a woman belongs."

"Excuse me?" Joelle glared at Johnathan, putting her hands on her hips at the comment.

"Joelle, you are no normal chick. Shit, I sometimes wonder if you are a chick."

"Funny." She responded, flipping him off.

"So, is she some butch woman or what? Have you met her yet?" Edgar asked.

"No, haven't met her. But I heard she is very eager to work, and has fished before."

"What do you think about this Andy?" Joelle asked him, smiling.

"I plead the 5th." He stated.

"I still can't believe you guys are having a chick on the boat. You hardly let Joelle on the boat if we are docked next to you guys."

"Yeah, some honorary member." Joelle mumbled, but then smiled at Johnathan and Andy when they looked at her.

"Sounds to me that you guys want some eye candy on the boat."

"Well, that is a perk." Andy said, smiling.

"You don't even know what she looks like. Who's to say she isn't butch?"

"Look at you! You wouldn't win any beauty pageants right now, so you really don't have any room to talk." Johnathan stated.

"Do I need to remind you guys of what Playboy magazine that is framed in the wheelhouse of the Time Bandit?"

"Who in the hell told you?" Andy exclaimed.

"Fourtner showed me! You really think I wouldn't have found that out?"

"You know what? You're out of the crew shot this year." Johnathan said, finishing off his drink.

Joelle laughed, putting her cigarette out. She then walked over to Johnathan and stuck her lower lip out.

"Don't even try to suck up to me." He said, shaking his head.

"You know you love me." She said, sticking her lower lip out even more.

"Why does he get that treatment? I think you should suck up to me as well." Andy stated, smiling.

"I think I've sucked up enough for the evening, gentlemen." She said, finishing off her drink.

"You are no fun." Andy said.

"Edgar, please don't stay out all night drinking. We have a lot of work to do on the engine." She stated.

He waved her off, lighting his cigarette.

Joelle rolled her eyes, and then headed towards the boat. She went straight to her stateroom, and then laid in her bunk, picking up her cell phone. She thought about trying to call Crosby, but knew that she would be unsuccessful. She knew it would be a couple days until they docked in Dutch Harbor. She couldn't wait until they got there.

She laid in bed, trying to go to sleep, but was unsuccessful. She heard Edgar come back to the boat a couple hours after she got on the boat. She heard him in the galley grabbing a bite to eat. She stood up and opened her door and then leaned against the doorframe as she watched Edgar eat a sandwich at the table.

"Why aren't you asleep?" He asked when he saw her.

"I couldn't sleep. I don't sleep well without Crosby next to me."

He nodded.

"So, you going to tell me why you are being so cranky?"

He shrugged his shoulders, taking a drink of his soda in front of him.

"Ed, we can't work like this all week. Shit, I take that back. I can't work like this all season."

"Just have a lot on my mind. Nothing you need to worry about." He said, smiling at her.

"You know me. You're my uncle. Of course I will worry about you."

"If I cut back on my bitchiness, will you drop it?" He asked.

"Now I really want to know."

"Don't worry about it, princess."

"I hate that nickname." She said, making a face.

He laughed to himself, then went into his room, shutting the door behind him. Joelle couldn't help but wonder what was bothering him. She knew she would figure it out sooner or later, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

There you have it! Please review! Thanks in advance. :)


	5. Chapter 5

So sorry for the long delay in updates! My computer got a NASTY virus on it, and I lost everything, and my poor computer has been getting fixed for the last 3 weeks. SOOO, I lost what I DID have written of this story, so I had to rewrite the chapter. Oh, and I do have Phil in this story, just to give you a heads up. Story wouldn't be the same without him, since this IS a continuation of my other story, and he was in that one as well.

Hope you guys enjoy, and please keep the reviews coming! They are like music to my ears! :)

Thanks to those that have reviewed so far! :)

* * *

The next week flew by, and they barely realized when the rest of the crew showed up on the boat. The engine was taking longer than either of them had anticipated, and Joelle couldn't help but point out the fact that they could have had it done months prior, but Edgar wouldn't hear of it.

"What do you mean it could take another week?" Sig barked, standing on the stairs to the engine room. "We are supposed to leave in two days!"

"I don't know what else to tell you. We had to wait for a part, and it just came in yesterday. We can only work as fast as our hands can go." Edgar argued back.

"I should never have let you guys come back when you did after salmon season. This could have been done and over with. I don't have time for my engine to not be in good working order."

"Like any of us expected this to be as big of a job it is."

"I'm going to send Norman down here to help you guys."

"Not worth it! Keep him up on deck so that he can get the pots ready to fish, and the bait on board. Three people down here are too many." Edgar said, shaking his head as he went back to work.

Sig stormed up the stairs mumbling to himself, and Joelle glanced at Edgar, stifling a smile.

"Your fights just aren't as good as they used to be." Joelle said, shaking her head.

"Not worth getting into it with him."

"Either that, or you are saving all of your energy for one big fight." Joelle said, smiling.

Edgar didn't respond to the comment, just kept on working.

"You really aren't going to tell me what is eating at you, huh?" She asked, sitting back as she crossed her arms.

"Can't you just help me get this done?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder at her.

"I don't know what you are hiding, but I swear to god, I will kick your ass if you don't tell me soon, or if you take it out on me anymore than you already are."

Edgar ignored her comment, and then threw the wrench he was holding down, and grabbed his soda that was sitting on the floor near him and took a drink.

The two of them went back to work in silence, and Joelle was lost in her thoughts until Jake came bouncing down the stairs.

"Wacha' doin'?" He asked, sitting down on the stairs.

"Quit sounding like a teenage chick, Junior. What do you want?" Edgar barked.

"We're all headed to the Elbow Room, and wanted to see if you guys wanted to join."

"Yeah, that would go over well with Sig." Joelle said, snickering.

"I heard the Time Bandit's new greenhorn is going to be there tonight."

"No wonder why you guys are going. Want to check out the fresh meat, eh?" Edgar asked.

"I just want to see if she is hotter than Joelle, that's all."

Joelle rolled her eyes.

"We have work to do, Junior." Edgar said, waving him off.

"Don't say I didn't ask." He responded, then ran up the stairs.

Joelle glanced at Edgar, who had a scowl on his face.

"You really don't want to go? We haven't had a break in over a week."

Edgar sat back, rubbing his forehead with the back of his arm.

"You deserve a break, old man." Joelle said with a smile.

"Why is it again that I put up with you?" He asked, glancing over at her.

"Because you love me, and you would have me no other way." She said with a smile.

"You know if we go, Sig will have a conniption fit."

"Who said I'm going?" She asked. "I'm not pissing off the uncle."

"So you're not going?"

"Nope. I think one of us should stay back and keep working, that way Sig doesn't get angry."

"So I'm allowed to go, but you're going to stay behind to look like the perfect deckhand?"

Joelle laughed at the comment, rolling onto her back.

"You're right. You're the farthest thing from a perfect deckhand."

"And you're mistaken if you think I'm staying on this boat."

"What? I thought you didn't want to make Sig mad?"

"No, this way I can say that I objected to this in the beginning, but you dragged me along anyway."

"Pure evil. You really were raised by us, huh?"

"There is no denying it." Joelle said, standing up and running up the stairs. She headed straight to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She then changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a black, form fitting sweatshirt, and then threw on a pair of her favorite dress boots. She blow dried her hair quickly, and put on a light layer of make-up, then headed out to the galley.

"Why are you all dressed up?" Edgar asked.

"Why not? It's the last time I will get a chance to do this in a couple months. I want to look nice."

"You're hoping to see Crosby."

"Well, that too." She said with a smile. She hadn't seen him since they had arrived in Dutch. She knew they arrived safely, but they both were so busy with their boats, that neither of them had a chance to visit each other.

The two of them headed to the bar, and when they got there, Joelle immediately looked for Crosby, but was disappointed to see that no one from the Wizard was there.

"Maybe they are on their way." Someone said to her in her ear as she looked around the bar. She turned to see Josh Harris standing by her.

"Maybe. How are you?" She asked, giving him a hug.

"Ready to get fishing. I heard there are troubles over on your boat." He said as the two of them headed towards the bar.

"You could say that. Our engine still isn't put back together, and it will take a miracle to have it done by the end of the week."

"Oh yes, we have heard. Sig has been bitching to my dad for the past hour now about it." He said, pointing to the bar where Sig and Phil Harris were sitting.

"Yeah, well, the whole bar is about ready to hear Sig when he realizes Edgar and myself are here."

"Yeah, probably. You are wasting time that could be devoted to the engine."

Joelle nodded, and then heard a slam on the bar just as Jamie, the bartender, was setting a couple drinks in front of Josh and herself. She looked over and saw Sig looking right at Edgar, and then back at her.

"Hey, might as well get this over with now, eh?" Joelle mumbled to Josh, before heading over to where Sig was standing.

"What the hell do you two think you are doing?" Sig screeched, his face turning red.

"Enjoying a beer, taking a break. You know, it is our first one in over a week." Edgar said, taking a drink of his beer.

"How do I know that? I haven't been here the whole time you two were supposed to be working. Maybe that's why my boat is dead in the water."

"Yes, I love working for no money, Sig. It's what I live for. We're enjoying a couple of drinks, and then sleeping for the night. Us working right now won't change the fact that we aren't leaving in two days. Plus, don't you think that Joelle should see her fiancé one last time before they head out?"

Sig glanced over at Joelle, and she could tell he was still fuming.

"Fine. Where's Crosby?"

"Not here yet." Phil said. "Just chill. One night out isn't going to make things that much worse."

Sig shook his head, lighting a cigarette, turning away from them.

"Plus, don't you want to hang out with your favorite niece?" Joelle asked, smiling at him as she stood next to him.

He glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye, taking a drag of his cigarette. He watched her snatch his cigarette case and steal one, and then light it.

"You just know I can't stay mad at you." He said, shaking his head.

"It's why I get away with as much as I do." She said, smiling at him. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and then headed over to where the Time Bandit crew was sitting.

"Joelle! Where ya' been my whole life?" Mike asked, smiling as she walked up.

"Waiting for you? Where have you been?"

"Stuck with these assholes. Come make it better."

Joelle laughed, shaking her head. She gave him a kiss on the cheek in greeting, then sat on his lap, setting her drink on the table.

"We were wondering if you were going to join us." Andy asked, smiling at her.

"Not even Sig can keep me from a drink with my favorite crew."

"Hey, I heard that." Matt said, slapping Joelle on the back of the head as he walked by.

"Second favorite." Joelle added, watching Matt with a smile.

It was then that Joelle noticed the new greenhorn on the Time Bandit. She was sitting in between Eddie and Scott, quietly watching everyone as they talk amongst themselves. Joelle couldn't help but think that she was going to be eaten alive by the crew at the table, but kept her mouth shut.

"So, are you guys going to introduce me, or are you gonna' be rude all night?" Joelle asked, slapping Eddie in the shoulder.

"Oh, yes, this is Katrina, our new greenhorn. Kat, this is Joelle." Eddie said, making the introduction.

"What do you do?" Katrina asked, trying to make conversation.

Everyone at the table but Joelle laughed at the comment, making Katrina blush as she bit her lower lip. Her shyness wasn't going to help her at all, Joelle thought.

"This is the chick you need to strive to be like. However, there is no way you would be able to measure up." Johnathan said, taking a drink of his beer.

Katrina gave him a questioned look.

"This is Joelle Hansen. Works on the Northwestern."

"Oh, wow, now I recognize you. You look nothing like on TV."

"I know. TV makes me look like a guy." Joelle said, making a face.

"One sexy dude." Andy said, but then bit his tongue.

"Really, Andy, you would know a sexy guy if you saw one?" Joelle asked, crossing her arms as she leaned back against Mike, smiling.

"Shit, if guys looked like you do right now, then yes."

"What does your wife think of this?"

"On that note, I'm going to get our crew shots."

The guys laughed at Andy's departure, as he ignored the question.

"So, Kat, ever been on a boat before?" Joelle asked, lighting a cigarette.

"Yeah. I grew up on boats. My father is a fisherman." She said.

"Anyone I know?" She asked.

"No. He mainly fishes lobster. Nothing like this."

"So, what made you decide to do this then?" She asked curiously.

"Wanted to prove to my family and friends that even though I'm quiet, I can do crazy things too."

"Even with these guys?"

"I can handle it." She said.

"This is definitely not a walk in the park." Scott said, watching her. "I hope I don't have to pick up the slack after you."

"You won't. Just you watch." She confidently responded. Joelle had a hard time believing her.

"Alright, crew shots all around." Andy said, coming to the table with a tray full of shots.

"What is it this time?" Joelle asked, glancing at it with a face.

"Do we ever tell you? Just get your crown and coke ready, and take the shot with us." Andy responded, smiling at her.

Joelle made a face, and as Johnathan made the toast, she downed the shot, and before she could taste it, she drank from her crown and coke, hoping the taste would go away.

"I think I just drank vomit." She said, making a face.

"Okay, I have questions." Kat said, sitting up as she set her shot down on the table.

"Damn, it's starting already."

"First, why did Joelle do the crew shot with us, if she is on the Northwestern?"

"She's our honorary member." Mike said, smiling at Joelle as she finished off her drink, still trying to get the taste of the shot out of her mouth.

"This here is the only chick that is worthy enough to join our crew. No offense, but you wouldn't be on the boat if Discovery didn't set this up." Johnathan answered.

She nodded.

"What's the other question?" Mike asked.

"Okay, so, I thought you were dating Crosby." She asked Joelle.

"I am actually engaged to him, why?" She asked.

"I just watch the way you flirt with everyone in this bar since you got here, and do you really think that it is appropriate? I mean, is Crosby really okay with that?"

Joelle's mouth dropped open at the comment, and found herself a little annoyed with it.

"Wow, I sense a little tension between the two chicks of Dutch Harbor." Scott said, sitting back in his seat.

"Do you know me?" Joelle asked, smiling sweetly at Katrina.

"Well…"

"Just because you see me on TV, doesn't mean that you know a damn thing about me sweetheart. Just because you got a 'pass' to get here, doesn't mean that you are accepted into our community, and get to pass judgment on other people. I am very much in love with my fiancé, and he means the world to me. My friendships up here, however, are none of your business. You don't know me, and you never will know me. All I can tell you is, you just set yourself up for a difficult time fitting in." She said, standing up. "Gentleman, it was great seeing you. You all stay safe out there."

"Joelle, don't go." Eddie said, shaking his head. Everyone at the table seemed upset with what Katrina had said, and Johnathan looked even more annoyed with the fact that Discovery was making them take her out with them at that point.

"I came out to see my fiancé, and unfortunately, he isn't here, so I am going to him." She said.

"You know we will deal with this, right?" Andy asked her, walking with her away from the table.

"I hope you do, because the bitch needs to be put in her place." Joelle said, turning to him.

"You know you're our girl. You stay safe out there yourself, got it?" He asked her.

She smiled, giving him a hug.

Joelle walked out of the bar, definitely not unnoticed, and headed down to the docks. She walked over to where the Wizard was docked, and immediately saw everyone busy at work.

"Well, well, well, look at all you guys acting like you're working." Joelle said, as she walked up to the boat.

"Yeah, you look like you're pretty busy yourself." Monty said, smiling at Joelle.

"I deserve a break working for the goons I work with." She said, leaning against one of the pillars on the dock.

"I heard you guys aren't heading out at the start of the season." Crosby said, smiling at his fiancé.

"You heard right. The engine is dead in the water. I have a feeling we'll be leaving just a couple days after the rest of the fleet."

"Then why aren't you working on the engine now?" Monty asked.

"Edgar and I wanted a break, and we wanted to meet the new greenhorn on the Time Bandit."

"Is she going to be eaten alive by those guys?" Monty asked.

Joelle smiled at the comment.

"I sure as hell hope so."

"Is someone jealous she isn't the only chick in Dutch anymore?"

"Hell no. It'll be nice to not have the spotlight on me anymore. I just wish she wasn't such a bitch."

"Wow, you sound like most chicks I know when they meet you." Travis said, laughing.

Joelle flipped him off with a smile on her face. It was then that Crosby came off the boat and walked over to her. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss.

"I wish I could stop and spend time with you." He said to her, smiling.

"I know you're busy, but I had to see you before you guys headed out. I knew tomorrow was going to be insane for everyone, and didn't want to take my chance in not seeing you."

"You're right. I would definitely not have been able to see you tomorrow." He said, giving her another kiss.

"You two make me sick." Monty said, throwing something down on the ground.

Joelle couldn't help but smile at the comment.

"I really should get back to work." He said, making a face at her.

"Stay safe out there, okay?" She said to him, sighing.

"Only if you do the same." He responded with a smile.

The two of them gave each other one last parting kiss before she watched him jump back on the boat to get back to work. She sighed, and then headed back towards the Northwestern. Once on board, she headed down to the galley and grabbed a bag of chips before going into her room. She laid in bed as she munched on the chips, depressed. She always was when she left Crosby, not knowing when she would see him again. She just had to remember that the season would go by quickly, like it always did, and she would be back in his arms soon.

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There ya' have it. Hope to have updates more frequently now that my computer is back in tip top shape. :)

Please tell me what you think! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Yay for another chapter! Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! :)

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Sig sat in the wheelhouse, a cigarette in his mouth, as he waited for the sound he had been longing to hear for days. He was anxious to get out and start fishing, and he was already two days behind the rest of the fleet, which made his stomach turn. He hated how he was so far behind, especially when he was normally one of the first to head out of the harbor.

"Start her up!" Edgar yelled up to him. He did as he was told, and immediately he heard the sound of the boats engine come to life.

"Yes! Let's get this boat ready to head out!" Sig yelled, coming out of the wheelhouse.

Joelle came out of the engine room and stood on deck, smiling at the sound of the engine. Finally it was running, and Sig was going to be off their ass for the time being. It was windy out, and there was an arctic storm heading their way, and Joelle wished that Sig would wait until it passed to head out, but she knew better.

"We need to leave now if we are going to beat the storm." Sig yelled. "Let's get a move on!"

It wasn't long before the crew had the boat ready for departure, and they stood on deck as Sig drove the boat out of the harbor towards the crab grounds. Joelle walked into the wheelhouse and sat down on the bench behind Sig, looking out the windows at the waves that crashed against the boat.

"If we left two days earlier, like the rest of the fleet, we wouldn't be dealing with this storm now." Sig angrily said.

"You know there was nothing more that we could have done to get that engine done faster." Joelle said to him, lighting a cigarette.

"Don't try to justify all of this. I'm not in the mood." He said, shaking his head at her.

Joelle shrugged her shoulders, and then headed down to the galley where Matt was cooking for everyone. She sat down at the table next to Norman, who smiled at her.

As the boat neared the crab grounds the next morning, the weather was worse than when they left Dutch.

"Let's get out there! We need to drop the pots! The boat is too top heavy to continue on!" Sig yelled angrily down the stairs.

Everyone got up without hesitation and got ready to head out on deck. Joelle put her raincoat on, and put the hood up. She then walked out on deck, throwing the cigarette that she had hanging out of her mouth overboard, then went straight to where the pots where at. She tied a rope around her stomach, then anchored it on the side of the boat in case she fell overboard, and then climbed on top of the pots, the boat rocking heavily as she did it.

"Everyone, keep an eye on her. It really is way too dangerous to have her up there." Sig said over the hailer. Joelle felt a little better knowing he was looking out for her safety, even with how angry he was at the moment.

"I don't want you up there." Edgar said to Joelle after two pots were brought down. She was having a hard time keeping her footing, but she kept on going with it.

"You guys always volunteer me to come up here because of how quick I am at it."

"Yes, but you are no match for this wind. I do not know how you are still up there."

"Just keep working. You are wasting time arguing with me." She said, hooking another pot to the crane.

Edgar mumbled under his breath, going back to the hydraulics to maneuver the crane. Joelle was getting tired the longer they worked, but she kept on working. A few hours into the works, she was finally off the top of the pots, and was working on deck helping bring the pots over to the launcher to get them off the boat. The boat was steadier at this point, but it was still rocking heavily in the storm.

"Joelle, why do you look so pale?" Nick asked, watching Joelle walk a pot over towards the launcher.

She just shrugged her shoulders.

"You feeling okay?"

"My stomach hurts, but I'll live." She said, making a face. She rubbed her stomach, wishing the pain that was forming in her stomach would go away, but it was no good.

Nick gave her a look as if he wasn't convinced, but went back to work. Before they knew it, all of the pots were in the water, and Sig ordered them inside to meet him in the galley to talk to them.

"Why do I have the feeling that we aren't done?" Matt asked, taking his drenched raincoat off.

"He is in the perfect mood this season, isn't he?" Edgar asked, walking out of the wet room. Joelle sighed, following her uncle into the galley. She quickly poured herself a cup of the hot coffee that had just been brewed, and then took a seat at the table.

"Alright guys, I want to bring up a couple test pots to see what kind of fishing we were forced to land on. There is a small weather opening right now, and I want to take advantage of it."

"What weather opening?" Jake asked, putting out his cigarette.

"This is nothing compared to what is coming." Sig answered, obviously not in the mood to argue.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with." Edgar said, standing up and leaving the room.

"If we're on the crab, I will let you all rest til tomorrow." Sig said.

"And if we're not?" Matt asked.

Sig just shrugged his shoulders, walking back up to the wheelhouse. Joelle sighed, taking a sip of her coffee, before throwing the rest out.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Norman said to Joelle quietly as they headed back outside.

"You and me both." She responded, putting her raingear back on. She put on her hat before putting the hood of her raincoat up and then headed back into the rainstorm.

They neared the beginning of their string, and Matt got ready to throw the hook to bring it on board. Joelle closed her eyes, her hand on the side of the boat for leverage as the boat tossed and turned, and prayed to herself quietly that there were crab in the pot.

"Joelle, you need to pay more attention on deck. What the hell is wrong with you?" Edgar yelled.

"Just praying there is crab in the pot, that's all." She said.

Edgar nodded, and turned to watch Matt throw the hook.

Joelle watched from where she was standing, her stomach starting to really hurt, and she rubbed her stomach as she waited. She thought about whether or not it was time for her monthly visitor, but remembered she had a couple weeks left until it would grace her with its presence. She sighed, and made a face, as she saw the pot come up completely empty.

"Stack it on. We're stacking on the string." Sig said over the hailer.

Joelle groaned at the sound of what he said, trying her best to let it sink in that they were nowhere close to getting a break. She knew it wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't as windy and rainy as it was, but she didn't see Sig giving in anytime soon.

They worked diligently through the storm, getting the pots back on the boat that they quickly got off the boat because of the storm. Now, Sig wanted nothing more to get them on the boat to get them to better fishing.

"Two! 0-2!" Nick yelled up to the wheelhouse. Joelle leaned forward, resting her head on the sorting table, taking a deep breath, her stomach tightening in pain.

"I really don't feel well." Joelle said, shaking her head.

"Get off the deck!" Norman and Edgar yelled at the same time.

"What?" Joelle asked, looking at them.

"You must really not be feeling well if you are complaining about it." Jake said.

"Exactly. Get off the deck."

"What the hell is the holdup down there?" Sig yelled over the hailer.

"Joelle is complaining about not feeling well, so we want her off the deck."

"Get your ass inside Joelle."

"What the hell! You guys bitch and moan all the time, but never get to go inside. Why am I any different?"

"For you to complain about something, it must mean that something is seriously wrong. Get inside and take a nap. Sleep it off. We'll see how you are feeling then."

"Seriously? Just like that? I am off the deck?"

"Don't make me come out there!" Sig yelled when he didn't see Joelle move.

"You know we're serious if Sig is even on our side." Norman said with a smile.

Joelle groaned, then stomped off the deck. As grateful as she was to get out of the wind and rain and into her bed, she hated leaving the rest of the crew to do her work.

"Come up here first!" Sig yelled down the stairs to where Joelle was. She got Sig a fresh cup of coffee, and then headed up to the wheelhouse. She set the cup in front of him before taking the seat across the room from him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sounding concerned.

"My stomach just hurts, a lot." She said. "And I'm more tired than normal. I'm sure it's just an early period."

"You are pale white. You never get like that when our favorite friend visits. Get some sleep, and we will see how you're feeling when you wake up."

"I don't understand why I'm not out there. You wouldn't be like this for one of the guys."

"You mean more to me than those goons out there. Plus, I made a promise to myself after your mother died that I would make sure that you were safe at all times. You complaining means that your mind isn't on the job. Now get to bed."

Joelle sighed, and then headed down to her room and climbed into bed. She could feel her body immediately relax as soon as she laid down, her whole body thanking her for laying down. Before she could even think about how much her muscles hurt, she drifted off into a deep sleep, not even thinking about the storm that was brewing outside.

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There you have it! Please keep the reviews coming! Gives me the encouragement to write more! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Alright, here's the next update. I have had this written for about a week, but I just wasn't happy with it. So, I've been tweaking it. I don't know if I am still fully happy with it, but I don't know if I ever will, so I'm just going to post it.

I don't know if events like this could ever happen, but it's a story, so we'll go with it! hehe.

Hope you enjoy! Keep the reviews coming. I love them all! :)

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Joelle woke up a few hours later, her stomach churning. She crawled out of bed, every muscle in her body aching, and managed to get to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and saw that she had color in her face again, which she was grateful for, but she felt nauseous. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, trying to will the pain in her stomach to go away, but was not lucky enough for it to happen.

She walked to the galley and took out a bottle of water and took a sip of it. She felt her stomach reject the fluid almost immediately, and ran to the bathroom to vomit it up. When she was done, she splashed some water on her face, feeling better almost immediately.

She walked up to the wheelhouse where she saw Sig smoking a cigarette, mumbling under his breath.

"Hey." Joelle said softly, taking a seat on the bench behind her uncle.

"How are you feeling?"

"Great." She lied. "I feel so much better after my nap."

"You wouldn't be lying to me to get back on deck, would you?"

"Would I do that?" She asked innocently.

"Yeah. Now which is it?"

"I feel fine Uncle Sig." She said, shaking her head.

"You ready to get back out there then?" He asked, pointing to the raging storm that the rest of the crew was working through.

"I can't believe you have them out there still."

"Can't keep the pots onboard. It's too dangerous."

"We could have kept the pots in the water until the storm passed, but you're too bullheaded to listen to us."

"Time means money, and if we aren't making any money, hard to spend the money, right?"

Joelle shook her head, smiling to herself.

"Just get out there." He said, waving her off.

Joelle went downstairs and started to get ready to head out on deck. She took a deep breath as another wave of nausea rushed over her. Once the feeling went away, she pulled her hood up over her head, and then walked out on deck.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with her presence." Matt said, smiling at Joelle.

"You feeling better?" Norman asked her quietly, eying the camera guy.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just keep working."

Joelle took over from Jake, hooking the crane to the next pot that needed to be prepped to go overboard. The boat was rocking heavily, and the wind was blowing so hard, it was hard to hear everything going on on deck.

"We've got some big waves coming!" Sig yelled over the hailer. Joelle held onto the tied down pot as the wave hit, nearly knocking her over.

"Bring it on!" Edgar yelled, slamming the pot that they were busy prepping shut as he tied the door closed.

"Why would you say that?" Joelle asked him, knowing that he couldn't hear her over the wind. She groaned as the next wave came over, knocking Jake on his ass. He quickly stood up again, laughing.

Joelle quickly untied the pot that was hooked onto the crane and led it over to the launcher after the previous pot was set. Once it was secured to the launcher, she unhooked the crane and ran back over to the remaining pots. They were close to finishing, which Joelle was grateful for, but didn't let her guard down at all.

"Keep the pace up! The faster we get done, the faster we get off deck!" Edgar yelled over the rain and wind. It was hard to hear him, which Joelle knew was a bad sign, and she only wished Sig would pull the plug on everything.

They all worked quietly, trying to finish as quickly and safely as possible. Joelle started to lead a pot over to the launcher when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Jake was watching her as she stopped walking, the pot still going to the launcher without her. He watched her grab her stomach, and her face turned pale white almost instantly.

"Joelle?" He said softly to himself. Nobody seemed to be paying attention to either of them at that point, just going about their job as fast as they could.

It was then that he saw Joelle's eyes roll to the back of her head and collapse. As she collapsed, a large wave went crashing over the side of the boat, taking Joelle with it.

"Joelle!" Jake yelled, running as fast as his legs would carry him through the water that was drowning the deck. Everyone then noticed Joelle under the water, and went to her aid as well. He immediately lifted her head above water, and it was then that they noticed blood coming from her head.

"Let's get her inside!" Edgar yelled, lifting his niece. As they were walking towards the wet room, Sig came running out of the wheelhouse, screaming for them to come to the wheelhouse. Edgar lifted the limp Joelle to Sig, who carried her immediately inside. The rest of the guys followed close behind.

Sig quickly took Joelle's raincoat off, and it was at that moment Joelle started to have a seizure. Sig turned her on her side so she wouldn't choke, and he then noticed a large gash in the side of her head, blood pouring out of it.

"Grab me a towel!" Sig yelled, his heart pounding a mile a minute. A towel was shoved in his hand by Nick, and he immediately applied pressure to Joelle's head.

"Let me take this over!" Norman said, moving Sig's hand. Joelle stopped seizuring, her body going limp.

All of the guys were silent, looking at each other, not sure what to do next.

"Check to see if she is breathing! Do something!" Edgar screamed, moving Sig out of the way. He immediately felt for a pulse, and then put his ear to her chest, hoping to hear something.

"Her heart isn't beating! Call the coasties!" He said, starting to do CPR. Adrenaline was taking over at this point, and he ignored the fact that the person he was doing CPR on was his niece. Sig went to the radio and started to dispatch for the coast guard to head out their way.

"This is Sig with the Northwestern. We need a chopper out here immediately. We need some medical help right now!" Sig yelled into the radio.

"What is the status of the patient?"

"Their not breathing. We are administering CPR right now, and their bleeding from the head badly. We need help." He knew the rest of the fleet was listening at this point, and he didn't want them to know who it was on the boat that was injured.

"Wait, I saw someone do this on some medical show I watched." Nick said, moving Edgar out of the way. He then made a fist and punched Joelle's chest right over her heart once. Edgar immediately listened for something, and he was relieved when he heard a faint heartbeat.

"It worked! Sig, tell them to hurry!" Edgar yelled, tears forming in his eyes at that point.

The rest of the fleet was silent as they listened to radio at what was happening. Keith sat silently, not doing a thing, listening intently, trying to find out who it was, and if they were okay. As soon as he heard Sig's voice on the radio, he knew what was going on was not good.

"What is the ETA on arrival? I don't know how much longer they will hold on." Sig's voice was clear as day over the radio, and Keith could tell he was extremely worried.

"Please don't be Joelle." He said to himself quietly as he watched the guys on deck working. They were just getting out of the storm, a long ways from where the Northwestern was fishing, and were just starting to bring up their first pots of the string.

"We are about ten minutes away now. How is the patient?"

"Breathing, but not conscious, and is bleeding profusely from their head. They lost a lot of blood."

Keith couldn't help but think about how Sig was wording his words. It was as if he knew that Keith was listening to him, and didn't want him to know who was injured.

"Just don't be Joelle." He said to himself softly again. He stared at Crosby as he worked, oblivious as to what was going on. He took a deep breath as he listened to the events play out over the radio.

"She's seizuring again! We need them here now!" Sig yelled over the radio, and Keith's suspicions were proven at that moment. He felt as if his heart stopped beating himself as he threw the pen he was holding down on the counter.

"What's going on up there?" Gary Soper yelled through the radio into the wheelhouse.

"Nothing. Go ahead and launch the pot." He said.

"We would if we had a pot. You completely missed the last pot we were supposed to bring on deck."

Keith looked around, realizing what he had done, and turned the boat around, ignoring the comments that were being made down on deck. He kept listening to the radio, hoping that the Coast Guard would make it to Joelle in time.

"We have the patient on board. Please stand by and we will let you know when we make it to Dutch." Sig heard the Coast Guard say to him after what seemed like an eternity.

"Please do. We are heading that way now." Sig said over the radio. Sig dropped the radio down as he watched Edgar and Norman walk back into the wheelhouse from outside after helping get Joelle into the rescue basket. They were soaking wet, and shivering, but nobody seemed to care. Sig looked around the wheelhouse and it was then that he noticed the amount of blood that was covering his floor. He collapsed in his chair, stunned by what just happened.

"We'll drive the boat back to Dutch." Nick said to Sig, who was staring off in space.

"No, I got this." Sig quietly said, not moving.

"Sig, you go downstairs. I got this." He said, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Sig nodded, stunned. Edgar and Norman were sitting on the bench not moving, both staring at the blood on the floor.

"We have this." Matt added, trying to get the brothers to move out of the wheelhouse. They knew that they needed to get out of the room, which only held the memories of what had just happened.

After coaxing, the three brothers headed down the stairs in silence. Sig went to his room, shutting the door behind him, and sat down on the edge of his bed. He looked down at himself, and noticed he was covered in blood as well, but didn't move to remove it. It was then that he broke down, bringing his hands to his face as the tears fell. He felt as if he had let his sister down at that point, and wanted nothing more than to go back in time and not let her work on the boat in the first place. He always knew it was too dangerous for her, but gave into her anyway. He laid down in bed, and stared at the ceiling, reliving the events of what just happened over and over again in his head. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fall asleep.

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Hope some questions have been answered, but I know all of them haven't. Hope to have questions answered in the next couple chapters or so.

Oh, and yes, Katrina will be making more appearances in this story. Just to let you guys know that one as well. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the cliffhanger guys, but I have to keep you guys wanting more! haha.

The reviews are awesome, and I love them. Please keep them coming!

Enjoy! :)

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Matt stared out the front window a few hours later as Nick and Jake finished scrubbing the floor, trying to get rid of the stains that embedded themselves in the floor. They wanted to try their best to get rid of anything that reminded of them of what happened earlier in the day.

The radio was turned on, and occasionally they could hear someone contacting another boat trying to find out if they heard anything that had happened onboard the Northwestern, but nobody was brave enough to ask them themselves. The guys were grateful for that, since they were not ready to talk to anyone about the events.

It was then that they heard Sig enter the room, his eyes bloodstained, but he looked like he had just gotten out of the shower.

"Hey." The three of them said quietly, watching him.

"Let me take over." Sig said, waving Matt out of the captains seat. Matt did as he said, and Sig sat down, rubbing his face.

"Can you guys leave me alone for a moment? I need to call June."

"Yeah, definitely." Nick said, then the three of them left the room quietly.

Sig took a deep breath, and then picked up the satellite phone and dialed home. He sat back and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello?" Mandy answered the phone.

"Hey baby girl. How are you?" Sig asked, trying to sound as happy as possible.

"Hi Dad. I'm good. Getting ready to go out with some friends. Want to talk to Mom?"

"Yes, please." He said, lighting a cigarette.

"Hey honey. How are things up there?" June asked when she got on the phone.

"Can you get away from the girls? I need to talk to you." He said.

"What's wrong?"

"Not in front of the girls."

Confused, June walked out of the living room and into her room and shut the door.

"What's going on Sig?" June asked.

"I need you to fly up to Anchorage and go to the hospital. Joelle is there, and you will probably make it there faster than we will."

"What do you mean Joelle is there? What happened?"

"She collapsed on deck and a wave came over at the same time she went down and she was bleeding. She wasn't breathing at one point, and I don't even know if she made it to the hospital or not."

"What were they doing out there if the waves were that bad?"

"Yes, June, let's make me feel worse than I already do. I already feel like shit as it is. Can you please just fly up. Leave the girls with Linda. Please don't tell them anything until we know more."

"Fine. I will call you after I get there."

"Thanks."

"And Sig, please hurry up."

"I'm going as fast as the engine will take me."

June hung up the phone and Sig set the phone back where it belonged. He stared out the front of the boat, the weather still bad, but not as bad as earlier, the time dragging on.

"Northwestern, this is the Wizard. Pick up if you hear me Sig."

Sig immediately thought of Crosby, and how he had no clue as to what was going on at that point. It took everything in him to pick up the radio to answer Keith.

"Go ahead Keith." Sig said into the radio, his voice cracking.

"Is she alright?" He asked.

"I don't know." Was all he said, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Does he know?"

"No, I figured I would tell him when I knew more, or when we were heading in. Whichever was first."

"Smart. No need to worry him until it is time."

"What happened?"

Sig sighed, then proceeded to tell him what had gone on earlier in the day. Keith was quiet as he listened, and couldn't help but think that Joelle didn't make it. He didn't see how someone could after all of that, but didn't say what he was thinking to the worried skipper.

"As soon as I know something, I will definitely let you know. I don't want to leave this up to you, but if you could tell Crosby, that would be great. I just don't have the energy to tell anyone else."

"Of course. Once you know more, I will let him know."

Sig kept the airways silent after the comment, not wanting to continue on with the conversation. Most of the fleet had tuned into the conversation between the two captains by then, stunned by the events that had unfolded on the Northwestern. The other captains decided to keep what happened to Joelle in the dark until they knew more about her condition, not wanting to upset their crews. Everyone was close to Joelle, and they were devastated by the news, and could only pray that she would come through.

Sig stared out the front of the boat, the ocean seeming never ending. Time was dragging on, and he felt himself starting to go crazy while waiting.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached Dutch Harbor. The boat was barely docked when Sig, Edgar, and Norman ran off the boat towards their truck. Nick, Matt, and Jake all finished getting the boat settled, staying behind with the boat until they heard word about Joelle.

"I'm here, and it's not good." June said to Sig as soon as he answered her phone call as they headed towards the airport.

"Don't you dare tell me she didn't make it."

"No, she's alive, but unconscious, and in a coma."

"She's going to wake up, right?" He asked. Edgar and Norman were watching him talk to June, on pins and needles with what the news was.

"The doctors don't think she will. There is little to no brain activity."

Sig cursed loudly, hitting the steering wheel with his hand as he drove.

"Just hurry up and get here. There's a lot that needs to be talked about."

Sig threw his phone down.

"Are you just going to have a fit, or are you going to tell us?"

"I'd rather have a fit." Sig angrily replied, speeding up towards the airport.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sig, Edgar, and Norman walked into Joelle's hospital room and they were greeted immediately by June, who looked as if she had been crying.

"How's it look?" Edgar asked, going to Joelle's bedside and holding her hand.

"She can't breathe on her own. She has hardly any brain function at all. The gash in her head wasn't awfully deep, but between the seizures and blood loss, it deprived oxygen to her brain." June explained, hugging Sig.

"What did the doctors say?" Norman asked, trying to absorb all of what was going on.

"There is about a 20 percent chance that she will wake up, and even if she did, there is about a 10 percent chance that she will be normal again."

"So there's a chance?" Sig asked, not taking his eyes off of his niece.

"Sig, is it worth putting ourselves through this?"

"June, there is a chance. That's all I got out of this. I don't care what kind of chance it is, but there's a chance. I am not giving up on her. She is the biggest fighter I have ever known, and I know she will get through this."

Just then, the doctor came into the room looking gloomy.

"Doc, this is my husband Sig, and his brothers Edgar and Norman. Their Joelle's uncles."

"So, Sig, you are technically Joelle's legal guardian."

"She's old enough to not have a legal guardian. She has been for awhile."

"You're the next of Kin though."

Sig nodded, his stomach turning.

"We got the results of the last CAT scan, and I wish I had better news…" He said.

"Well?" Norman asked.

"The brain activity has gone up, but it isn't a significant amount to be hopeful. We can keep an eye on her for the next twenty-four hours, but if there is nothing by tomorrow, she will be declared brain dead, and I hate to say this, but we may have to think about what is best for her at that point."

"But there was improvement. Every day, if there is improvement, then that is better than nothing."

"Unfortunately, it's not enough to get me excited about anything. But like I said, we can keep an eye on her progress over the next twenty-four hours, and reassess then."

"What caused her to collapse like that?" Norman asked, breaking the long silence that had taken over the room after the doctors comment.

The group all looked over at the doctor, curious as to what the answer was.

"Joelle had a miscarriage while she was on the boat. She had an ectopic pregnancy, and she was unable to carry it. Had she been complaining of not feeling well? Any sharp pains in her stomach? Dizziness?"

"Yeah, she was complaining of that the day before all of this happened." Edgar said. "It's why we kicked her off deck."

"But why was she back on deck?" June asked.

"She took a nap, and said she was fine." Sig answered.

"You know how she is! She would work on that deck no matter what. She lives to be on that deck. You should never have let her come out there in that storm." Edgar yelled angrily.

"How bad was the storm?" June asked.

"One of the worst I've seen in awhile." Sig confessed quietly.

"You knew she wasn't feeling well. She never complains about shit, and she was complaining about feeling like shit, and buckled over in pain before we kicked her off. She should never have been let back on that deck!" Edgar yelled.

"You never told her to go back in, did you?" Norman asked.

"And neither did you!" Edgar shouted.

"Guys! There is no point in passing the blame! All we need to do now is pray and be here for her. You guys arguing is not going to help her at all." June said, trying to calm the brothers down. It was silent in the room, with only the sound of the machines hooked up to Joelle filling the silence.

"It was something she probably didn't even know about. It was very early on in the pregnancy." The doctor went on to explain.

Nobody said a word.

"I will check back in with her later. Let us know if you need anything."

"Thanks, doctor." June said as he departed.

"So…" Norman said, breaking the silence between the brothers.

"What?" Sig asked.

Norman decided to ask the question that everyone was thinking, but didn't want to ask.

"Who's going to tell Crosby?"

Nothing but silence filled the room again.

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There you have it! ;-) The more you review, the faster I will update. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Feel awful for the lack of updates. Been a crazy time for myself. Getting myself prepped for a move across country, so my updates will be very spaced out. Apologize ahead of time.

Again, thank you SOOOO much for the reviews! They are awesome! Keep them coming!

Oh, and the Edgar thing will be answered in the next couple chapters, I haven't forgotten about that. :)

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Crosby finished sorting the crab on the sorting table, grateful that the end of their first leg of their trip was coming to a close. He wanted nothing more than to climb in bed and sleep for hours on end until they were back in Dutch Harbor for the offload.

"I have dreams of a whisky in my hand, and a lady by my side when we get back." Travis said, smiling as another full pot came on board.

"Who ya' gonna' pay to do that for you?" Gary joked.

"Shit, I don't know if a chick would want to be seen with you, whether you are paying her or not." Monty laughed.

"That's not what your wife said." Travis joked, laughing as Monty threw a crab at him.

"I would just be happy if we pull into the harbor, and see the Northwestern docked as well." Crosby said, sorting through the load of crab in front of him.

"I think you should not be allowed to see her. We can't see our women, so why should you be able too?" Lynn asked.

"What women Lynn? You have struck out every time I have seen you go for a chick. You and Travis are high and dry in the women department." Gary commented with a smile.

"I have women. I just don't bring them around you assholes." Lynn said, laughing.

"Quit chatting and keep working." Keith bellowed over the hailer.

"I wonder what crawled up his ass and died." Monty said, rolling his eyes.

Keith had heard the comment, but chose to ignore it. He wasn't in the mood. He had just gotten off the phone with Sig, and the news he was hoping he wouldn't hear was worse than he had anticipated. The secret he was keeping was eating at him, and as much as he didn't want to tell Crosby, he was grateful that the trip was almost over, because the waiting was wearing him down.

"Last pot, and we're heading in." Keith announced, and he could hear the crew cheer at the news. He sat in the wheelhouse and watched Crosby, debating on if he should tell him then, or wait until they get into Dutch to tell him.

"Crosby, can you head up to the wheelhouse when the deck is secure?" He made up his mind, and almost immediately, he wished he could change it.

"Roger!" Crosby said in response.

He watched as the crew finished securing the deck, and they all headed inside. After what seemed like an eternity, Crosby finally emerged in the wheelhouse with Travis.

"What's up?" Crosby asked.

"Travis, can you give us a moment?" Keith asked.

"Everything okay?" Travis asked as soon as he saw the look on Keith's face.

"Just please." He said, standing up.

Crosby immediately felt uncomfortable at that moment, watching Travis walk back down to the galley.

"Do I even want to know what you are about to talk to me about?" Crosby asked.

"Just sit." Keith said.

"I don't want to know. Whatever it is, it can wait until we dock. I just do not want to know."

"That is completely up to you. But it is not going to change what I'm going to tell you at all."

"Let me ask this. Is it going to make me want to jump off this boat and swim to shore right now?"

Keith didn't respond.

"Then don't tell me." He said, standing up. "I don't think I can handle any kind of news right now in the middle of nowhere."

"When you are ready then, come on up." Keith said.

Crosby walked out of the wheelhouse and got halfway down the stairs to the galley, but then turned around and walked back up to where Keith was.

"Is it about my family? Is my family okay?"

"They are fine." Keith said.

Crosby nodded, heading back down the stairs, but then turned around again.

"I'm not fired, am I?" He asked, walking back into the wheelhouse.

"No, you're not fired." Keith responded, sitting down in his chair, facing Crosby.

He nodded, then headed back down the stairs, but then stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't want to walk back up in the wheelhouse, but the only thing the news could be about was Joelle, and he had to know.

"What happened to her?" He asked, as he stood quietly in the wheelhouse.

Keith had tears in his eyes at that point. Crosby knew at that point that his suspicions were correct.

"Please tell me she is not at the bottom of the sea." He said, closing his eyes, making fists with his hands.

"No, she's not."

"Did the boat sink? Are the others alright?"

"No, the boat is docked in Dutch Harbor right now."

"Then whatever is wrong must be pretty serious. Sig doesn't stop fishing for just anything. Please tell me she isn't dead."

Keith was quiet.

"Keith! I will not believe it until you say it!" He angrily yelled, his emotions getting the better of him.

"She's technically not dead." He said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Crosby asked, his heart breaking in a million pieces.

Keith went into the story, and what Sig had told him just an hour prior to that moment. As he went on, he could see Crosby falling apart in front of him.

"They agreed to do nothing until you arrived. That way you can decide at that time what to do."

"What? To pull the plug on my life? She is my world. She is everything to me. I will never be ready to give her up. The thought is just absurd." He sobbed. He couldn't believe what Keith was just telling him. It was as if it was a horrible dream that he couldn't wake up from.

"Nobody is saying that…" Keith chimed in.

"Yet. Nobody is saying that yet. I'm not stupid." Crosby angrily responded. "Is there any way I can call?"

"Yes, go ahead and use the phone. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

Keith walked out of the wheelhouse, ensuring first that the boat was on the right track back to Dutch, and Crosby took his spot and picked up the SAT phone, then stared at it. He was frozen, everything sinking in, and he broke down. He then slowly dialed Sig's number, taking a deep breath, as he wanted for him to answer the phone.

"Keith, what's going on?" Sig answered.

"Sig?" Crosby choked out.

There was silence on the other end, and it was almost too much for Crosby to handle.

"Sig!" Crosby yelled, as he gripped the phone tightly with his hand.

"Crosby, I'm so sorry." Sig finally said.

"Please tell me what Keith said is this horrible prank that you guys think is funny in some sort of awkward dimension."

"I wish I could say that it wasn't real. I am numb from it all myself."

"Has there been any improvement since she has been there?"

"There is little improvement as time goes on, but the doctors aren't hopeful."

Crosby bit his lip angrily, dropping the phone to his lap as he shook his head, trying to fight back the tears. He put the phone back to his ear.

"Are the doctors pushing to pull the plug?" He asked, getting right to the point.

"I refuse to let them. As long as there is improvement, then we keep fighting. She's a fighter Crosby, you know this. I have faith that she will get through this."

"What are Edgar and Norman saying?"

"They are wanting to fight as well. Everyone is ready to fight to save her."

"And June?"

"She wants to fight, but she is also listening to what the doctors are saying."

"Don't do anything until I'm there." He said, shaking his head as he wiped a tear that had fallen down his cheek away.

"We wouldn't even think about it."

"Can you hold the phone to her ear? I want to say something to her."

"Of course." Sig said.

Crosby heard silence on the other end of the line, and he took a deep breath.

"Joelle, please wake up. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. I need you to fight right now. Fight like you have never fought before. Come back to me, please."

Crosby hung up the phone at that point, not wanting to speak to Sig, or anyone, at that point. The only person he wanted to speak too was the one person he couldn't.

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There you have it! keep the reviews coming! LOVE them! :)


	10. Chapter 10

I was told to update soon, so here it is. It's a very SHORT update, but an update none the less. Plus, may be important later. ;-)

Keep the reviews coming! :) LOVE to hear what you have to say!

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Andy, Neil, and Jonathan sat in the wheelhouse staring out the front of the boat as they watched the crew work diligently on getting the crab on the boat. They weren't on big numbers, and were having a hard time finding the crab, and Jonathan did nothing but blame Katrina, saying she was bad luck on the boat. It only prompted the guys to pick on her more than they already were.

"Should we tell them?" Andy asked.

"No, don't bring them down right now. It's only gonna' make things worse on this boat than it already is." Jonathan answered.

"Still. They are all just as close to Joelle as the rest of us. I think they should know."

"Not telling them is not going to change a damn thing. They can find out at the end of the trip, and it won't make a difference."

"Jon, if she dies, and none of them know what happened prior, they will be pissed. I would be pissed." Neil said, chiming in.

"Fine, we can discuss it at the next dinner break." Jonathan said, sitting back in his seat angrily.

Andy looked at his watch, then leaned over and grabbed the hailer and said "Yo, Kat, get your ass inside and cook dinner."

Katrina flipped the wheelhouse off, but headed inside anyway.

"What, break time already?"

"It's time to tell them. No need to delay this more than needed." Andy said, sitting back in his seat.

"Whatever. Take over for me." Jonathan said, then walked out of the wheelhouse. Andy sat down in the captains chair, and watched out the window. The radio was buzzing with talk about Joelle, to see if there was any new news on her at all. Andy wanted to turn it off, but was afraid too, in case there was something new to find out about. He didn't want to miss out on anything.

Before long, Jonathan walked back into the wheelhouse and announced to the guys to get inside for a quick meal. He then stormed back down to the galley, leaving Andy and Neil alone again.

"Let's head down." Andy said, standing up after putting the boat in autopilot towards the next string.

The two brothers headed down to the galley and the crew was already around the table eating the food that Katrina had put together. She sat quietly between Eddie and Mike, eating her food slowly. She wasn't an awful deckhand, but wasn't anywhere near the level of the other guys. If Jonathan had his way, she would be off the boat as soon as they hit Dutch Harbor, but the contract he signed kept her there throughout King Crab season, and he was stuck.

"Alright, everyone, we need to talk to you." Jonathan said.

"I knew something was up. You seem way too pissy than normal." Scott said, smirking.

"Scotty, shut up." Andy warned, shaking his head.

"What is it?" Eddie asked when he realized the look on the three brothers' faces.

"There has been an incident on the Northwestern."

"What do you mean, an incident?" Mike asked, sitting back in his seat.

"Joelle was taken to the hospital by the coasties, and isn't doing too well." Andy said.

"What, she couldn't handle the pressure?" Katrina said with a smirk.

"You know, if there weren't cameras around, and no witnesses, I'd deck you right now." Jonathan angrily snapped.

"What is your problem with her anyway?" Scott asked.

"She thinks she's god's gift to man. I have a problem with that."

"You! You're not allowed to speak anymore unless we give you permission." Jonathan yelled, slamming his hands on the table looking dead straight at Katrina.

"Sorry." She said, putting her hands up in surrender.

"Back to Joelle. What's going on?" Mike said, changing the subject back to what was important at the moment.

"She collapsed and a wave took her head first into the side of the boat. She seizured and her heart stopped beating. They were able to get her heart beating again, but she lost a lot of blood. She's in a coma at the hospital in Anchorage, but the doctors don't think she is going to wake up again." Andy went on, giving Katrina a look.

Everyone was silent at what Andy said.

"What are they going to do?"

"She is on life support right now, because she can't breathe on her own, but they refuse to pull the plug on her."

"Good! She's a fighter. That chick makes it through everything!" Eddie said, trying to sound confident.

"How's Crosby?" Mike asked, thinking of his friend.

"He had just arrived to the hospital today from what Sig said. He's heartbroken, but hasn't left her side since he got there."

"He's got to be devastated." Scott said, shaking his head.

"They are all pretty distraught. We just need to be there for them all as much as we can, because from what I understand, there is a very good chance she won't make it out of this." Andy said, shaking his head, but making it clear that things didn't look good. He wanted to prepare the rest of the crew of what may come.

"I have faith she will. And knowing her uncles, they will not give up on her."

The rest of the crew was silent, afraid to say anything at that point, as they all made a silent prayer that Joelle would wake up from the horrid nightmare.

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There you have it. I'll try to update again soon, but I'm pretty busy the next couple weeks. Hopefully I can update Sunday, but I don't know. The more reviews I get, the more motivation I get to update sooner. :)


	11. Chapter 11

Here's the update I promised you all. It's another short one, but It will finally answer some questions that you all have been asking me.

I hope to update again in the next couple days, but no guarantees. I am leaving out of town this week to head up north to visit the boyfriend (long distance relationships SUCK I may add...lol). I'll try to update before leaving town though...

Thanks again for the reviews! Keep them coming! :)

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Edgar walked into Joelle's room and leaned against the doorframe, watching Crosby sit and stare at his niece, what he had been doing since he had arrived at the hospital. He had barely moved from where he was sitting since he had arrived two days prior, and he barely slept, afraid that he wouldn't be around for when Joelle started to come around, but there was no sign in sight that she was coming around from her coma.

"Cros, why don't you go down to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat. You haven't eaten since before you got here." Edgar urged, trying to get Crosby to do something other than sulk in Joelle's room.

"I'm not hungry." He responded.

"I'm sure you're not, but you need to eat. You need to get out of this room. Believe me, you'll go crazy just sitting here all day."

"What if she wakes up, and I'm not here."

"If there are signs that she wakes up, you will be the first one I call."

Crosby was quiet, staring at Joelle, then sighed.

"Alright." He said, standing up. He bent down and kissed Joelle's forehead before leaving the room. Edgar took over his seat and took Joelle's hand in his.

"How's our girl doing?" Sig asked, walking into the room.

"No change." Edgar said softly, rubbing the back of Joelle's hand with his thumb. He couldn't help but notice that her hand was warm to the touch, which wasn't true before.

"I'm sure there will be improvement by tomorrow." Sig said, sounding confident.

"You're always sure that everything will go as planned." Edgar said, shaking his head.

"What does that mean?" Sig asked, giving his brother a look.

"Not a damn thing."

"No, you meant something by that. Are you giving up on her?" Sig asked.

"Not a chance in hell. Those doctors better stay away from her if they have any intention of pulling the plug. I will tackle them myself."

"Then what crawled up your ass lately? You've been a real dick for awhile now."

"Nothing."

"No, you brought this shit up. Just spit it out."

Edgar sighed, shaking his head.

"Just all of this with Joelle made me realize how short life really is." He confessed.

Sig looked at his brother confused.

"I want to spend time with my family. I'm tired of leaving them all of the time. This could have easily happened to me, and I couldn't imagine leaving my family to deal with this situation. Just the thought of it kills me inside."

"And all of this came about with what happened to Joelle here."

"No, I've been thinking about this for awhile. Being on the boat just isn't what I want to do anymore."

"You would let down our father like that?"

"Sig, don't pull that bullshit on me. You know dad would have wanted me to be happy, even if that meant taking a couple years off from the boat. It may not be permanent, but I can't guarantee that I'll ever come back either.."

Sig just shook his head.

"You don't know what you want. This whole situation is clouding your judgment on everything."

"Yeah, you can believe that if you want, Sig."

Sig sighed.

The two brothers sat in silence, listening to the beeping of the machines that were keeping their niece alive.

"Her hand is warm." Edgar commented.

"There's improvement."

"Either that, or all of the warming units on her are doing what they are supposed to do."

"Let me believe that she is getting better. I need some good news right now." Sig retorted, getting angry.

They were silent again, the two brothers too angry at each other to want to talk. Norman walked into the room at that point, taking the seat directly across from Edgar.

"Now that both of you are here, I do need to talk to you." Sig said, sighing.

"What?" Norman asked, unaware of the conversation that had just gone on between Edgar and Sig.

"I hired a friend to take the boat back out, but one of us needs to go up to make sure that everything is a go before it heads out."

"One of the guys on the boat can't do that?" Edgar asked, dumbfounded that Sig even wanted one of them to leave at that time.

"I don't trust anyone, and you know that. I would prefer if it was you. Matt did say that something sounded off with the engine."

"You have got to be kidding me. After all the work I put into that thing before we went out?"

"The other engine. I'd hire someone, but you know how I feel about that."

Edgar just laughed as he shook his head, staring at his niece.

"If there is any change, you know I'd call you to bring you back here immediately."

"No, Sig. I'm not going."

Sig sighed.

"I'll let you think about it for awhile. My friend Sam that I hired can't get up there for a couple days anyway. There isn't a huge rush right now."

"You can have me think about it for a day, or a year, I'm not going to leave Joelle right now."

"At least call them to see if it is an easy fix they can deal with or not. That's all I ask right now."

Edgar kissed the back of Joelle's hand, then stood up.

"I really hate you for this right now."

Sig didn't answer.

Edgar left the room to head outside to have a cigarette. As soon as he lit it, he made a face. He needed to change the way he lived his life, because the way he was living at that moment, he knew he wasn't going to be around for a long time for his kids, and he didn't want that.

"Hey, how's she doing?" June asked as she walked up to the hospital. She had just come from the hotel after getting a shower and nap in. Nobody was sleeping much at that point, but everyone tried to get some time away from the hospital.

"No change." He answered, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"We will need to start talking to the doctors about getting her transferred to Seattle. She can't stay here forever. I need to get back to the kids."

Edgar nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we can have a meeting with her doctor today. See what he says. Just please tell him before the meeting that if he brings up pulling the plug on her just once, I will jump over the table and strangle him."

June nodded.

"I'll go and talk to the nurse about setting up something."

Edgar watched her walk into the hospital, and he sat down, his head pounding. He just wanted this nightmare to be over.

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There you have it. Please keep the reviews coming. They definitely do help encourage me to update faster! :)


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the long stretch of no updates. Been a crazy time, and was out of town, but here is an update, and it's a longer one than the last couple.

Thank you again sooo much for the reviews! Keep them coming! It'll keep me occupied before my big move back north. The time is going by too slowly! haha.

Enjoy! :)

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Matt sat in the wheelhouse, staring out the front window, watching the incoming and outgoing boats into the harbor. It was as if time had stood still on the Northwestern. They were all walking zombies, none of them able to get sleep since the incident had happened. The events of that day just kept running over and over in their heads, and nobody wanted to do a thing.

Matt then saw Edgar walking down the dock towards the boat. He didn't know how Sig talked him into coming back to the boat to oversee the new repairs that needed done, but he was grateful to see his face. Matt immediately noticed how worn down Edgar looked, and couldn't imagine what he was going through at that point.

"Why didn't you call us when you arrived? We would have come to get you." Matt asked when Edgar got in the wheelhouse.

"Didn't want to bother you." He responded, throwing his stuff down on the bench.

"Shit, we need an excuse to get off this boat. It holds nothing but nightmares anymore."

"Well yeah. You're sitting in the wheelhouse. I still smell the blood."

Matt shook his head at the comment.

"I just want to get the engine fixed and find you guys your new deckhand so that I can get the hell out of here."

"How is she doing?" Matt asked, curious. He hadn't gotten an update in a couple days, afraid to call. He was afraid one of the updates would be the news that nobody wants to hear.

"Little improvement daily. She is regulating her own body temperature now, which is a huge improvement in my eyes. The doctors had always said that she would never be able to do that. They still want us to pull the plug though. I'm just glad that she is being transferred to the hospital in Seattle. We have a doctor there that isn't as adamant on pulling the plug like the ass that is her doctor now."

"Fuck the doctors. What do they know."

"I don't think they realize how much of a fighter Joelle really is. I know in my heart she will wake up from this."

"Do you think there is going to be too much brain damage at this point?"

"I don't care." Edgar answered, leaving the wheelhouse and headed towards the engine.

Edgar spent the rest of the day working on the engine, the rest of the guys afraid to go near him at that point. He had the radio blaring as loud as he could stand it, and would curse to himself throughout the repairs.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Jonathan asked Nick, Matt, and Jake as he walked up to the boat.

"As good as it can get I guess." Nick answered, motioning his head towards the engine room where Edgar had barricaded himself. Even with the door closed, the music could still be heard.

"I was surprised to hear he was even in town when we docked. I'm hoping that means it's good news?"

Jake just shook his head. He had barely spoken since the incident. Seeing Joelle swept under by the wave was almost too much for him to bare.

"Well, that girl is a fighter. I came to see if Edgar would let me talk to him. I heard you are in need of another deckhand."

"Yeah, we are." Matt answered.

Jonathan nodded, then headed towards the engine room. He opened the door, and the music immediately got louder. He headed down the stairs and turned the radio off.

"What the fuck!" Edgar yelled, not knowing who turned the music off.

"Hey, Ed, chill out for a minute. I wanted to talk to you." Jonathan said, moving so Edgar can see him.

"Oh, hey Jonathan." Edgar said, dropping his wrench into his toolbox.

"Been a hell of a couple weeks, huh?" Jonathan asked, leaning against the wall.

"You have no idea." Edgar answered.

"I heard you guys are in need of a deckhand."

"Yeah, we are. Why? You want to dump the chick?"

Jonathan laughed.

"How'd you guess?"

"I'm surprised she hasn't been thrown overboard yet."

"Believe me. If there weren't cameras, it would have been done."

Edgar smiled at the comment.

"She isn't that bad of a deckhand though." He said, making a face.

"Wow, you must be kidding."

"She could be better. Definitely no Joelle. But I bet she'd be of help for the season."

"I thought you were locked in contract with her." Edgar asked, confused.

"I can dump her off to you, because Discovery tapes on the boat. She's still on TV making them money." Jonathan said, rolling his eyes. "Plus, they think it may bring in more ratings if she works on more than one boat."

Edgar shook his head.

"I don't care. Ask the rest of the guys to make sure they are okay with it though."

"Sounds good. Just let us know if you need anything. Got it?" Jonathan asked.

Edgar nodded, going back to working on the engine.

Jonathan walked back on deck, closing the door to the engine room. When he turned around, he saw Nick, Matt, and Jake all staring at him.

"How would you guys like one of my crewmen for the rest of the season?"

"If it's Mike, sure. If you're pushing Katrina off on us, then fuck no." Matt said.

"Yeah, I'd give up Mike." Jonathan sarcastically responded.

"You can't be serious. You want us, with the bad luck we've been having this season, bring on a chick greenhorn? Yeah, that's like asking for trouble."

"She's not that bad of a deckhand. Damn, I need to wash my mouth out with soap." Jonathan said, making another face.

"Yeah right. She probably sucks." Nick said. "What's wrong with her."

"Besides the fact that she's a chick, and a little bitch, not a thing. I mean, she's no Joelle, but she isn't awful."

"What do you mean a little bitch?"

"You'll see. I have a feeling that you guys will put her in her place real quick, and she needs a wake-up call."

Jake gave Jonathan a confused look.

"Either you take it or leave it. At least you know I wouldn't give you guys someone who couldn't do the job. I wouldn't do that to you guys right now. Just trying to help."

"I'd rather take Mike." Matt said with a smile.

"We'll take her. Better than nothing. Not many fishermen worth choosing from right now. We've already looked. They aren't worth the time to try to train." Nick said, chiming in.

"Then it's a deal. I will send her on over."

Jonathan walked off deck, a sense of relief washed over him. He knew that sending her over would help the guys, but with her unknown grudge against Joelle, he knew that she would shut up quick on the Northwestern. He just couldn't listen to it anymore.

"Kat, get your shit packed. You're out of here!" Jonathan yelled once he got inside the Time Bandit.

"What do you mean?"

"They want her?" Andy asked, a smile on his face.

"They are desperate I think by this point. They just want to get the season going again so they can be done." Jonathan answered.

"You are NOT putting me on the Northwestern."

"Hell yeah we are. Discovery already agreed to it darling. Get your shit and get out." Jonathan said, then headed back up to the wheelhouse.

"This is NOT what I agreed too." Katrina said, storming out of the galley.

"This is going to be awesome." Eddie laughed, taking a sip of his coffee.

Katrina angrily put her things in her bags, not caring how things were put in there. She was angry. She didn't want to be on another boat. Especially the Northwestern.

Before long, Mike was helping Katrina take her things over to the Northwestern. Music was blaring again by that point.

"Welcome." Matt said, smiling at Katrina.

"I want to get one thing straight. If I get compared to Joelle once on this damn boat, someone is getting a pot flung at them."

"Which is why you are not in control of the crane." Nick said with a smile. "You are bait bitch."

Katrina rolled her eyes.

"Can you just show me where to put my things?"

Jake took Katrina down to where her room was going to be.

"Thanks for bringing her over Mike." Nick said to him.

"Yeah, good luck. Let us know how Joelle does."

"Definitely will do. When we know something, we will let you know."

"Perfect. Hope you don't throw her overboard like Jonathan and Andy wanted to do." Mike said, laughing as he walked away.

Matt and Nick looked at each other, wondering if they should have agreed to let her come on board.

Edgar emerged from the engine room, wiping his hands.

"How's it look?" Nick asked.

"It's finished. Just have to wait for Sam to show, and you guys are golden." Edgar said.

"Katrina just showed up." Matt said.

"So you guys did agree to bring her on board. I heard she's a little shit." Edgar answered.

"We don't have much choice at this point, do we?"

"Up to you guys. I want to meet this deckhand of ours."

Edgar, Nick, and Matt all headed inside and found Katrina looking around the galley, Jake sitting at the table watching her in silence.

"So, you're Katrina?" Edgar asked.

"Yeah." She answered. Edgar could tell she was annoyed with the whole situation.

"Can you cook?" Matt asked her.

"Yeah, why?"  
"Probably have you cooking now that you're here then." He answered.

"Did Joelle cook?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"Definitely not." Nick laughed.

"Then why do I have to cook if she didn't? Aren't you guys being a little racist towards women?"

"Not at all. If we let Joelle cook, we'd all be dead by now with food poisoning. You, however, can't do much on deck, so taking one of us off deck to cook is pointless."

Katrina crossed her arms.

"Sounds to me like you guys let her slide by on shit. Not as great of a deckhand as everyone says she is, eh?"

"Wow, you've got balls." Edgar said, shaking his head.

Katrina looked at him, waiting to see where he was going with his comment.

"My niece is lying in a bed fighting for her life, and you are going to come on here and degrade her? Do you not know where you are?" He asked.

Katrina just watched him, biting her lower lip, completely forgetting the fact that Edgar was Joelle's uncle.

"Now I understand why Jonathan hated the cameras so much, because if they weren't here right now, I'd lay you out right now." Edgar's fists were clenched as he spoke. "Be glad that Sig isn't here right now, because he wouldn't care about the cameras."

Edgar walked out of the galley at that point, heading up to the wheelhouse.

"You watch yourself. I'd rather work a 3 man deck crew than deal with that shit." Matt said, staring down Katrina.

Katrina watched as the three guys leave the galley, all staring her down, and she immediately felt like she was an inch tall. She didn't know what she had gotten herself into.

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There you have it! PLEASE review! LOVE the reviews!


	13. Chapter 13

Wow, long time since an update, and I GREATLY apologize! Things have been INSANE. Moving out in 2 weeks up north, and I never knew how much crap that needed to be done to move across country!

But here is an update. I don't know if the medical stuff can really happen, but it's just a story anyway.

Please review! I love to hear what you have to say! :)

* * *

Edgar walked into Joelle's new hospital room in Seattle, and saw Norman, Crosby, and Sig were all sitting around Joelle's bed quietly, not saying a word.

"Hey, you're back." Norman said to Edgar when he walked in the room.

"Any change?" He asked.

Edgar knew the answer just by looking at Crosby's face. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and Edgar's heart went out to him.

"How's the boat?" Sig asked, changing the subject. Edgar found himself grateful at that moment to talk about something other than his niece. The room was somber, and they needed to talk about something other than Joelle.

"It's alright. Hired one spitfire of a chick."

"More than Joelle? Don't even say that Jonathan dumped his chick on our boat."

"Hey, I left it to the guys, and they agreed. I think the deckhands that were around were slim pickings at that point. They were desperate."

"Makes me wonder how things are going right now. They are probably used to a chick working like Joelle. Nobody is like this girl here." Sig commented.

"She's a freak of nature." Norman joked.

"Yeah, well, I'll be surprised if Kat makes it back to shore. If we were on that boat with her, I could guarantee she wouldn't."

"Why do you say that?" Crosby asked, curious at that point.

"Hates your fiancé for some damn reason. Almost popped her in the head myself."

Crosby made a face, turning back to Joelle.

Joelle's new doctor walked in at that point, which made the guys sit up in their seats, wondering what the new tests results said about Joelle.

"Please give us good news. We need it right now." Sig said, almost pleading at that point.

"I wish I had good news guys, I really do." He said, taking a seat himself.

"Is there any news?" Edgar asked.

"She isn't showing any improvement anymore." Dr. Watson said, shaking his head. "There is next to no brain activity anymore."

"But she is regulating her own body temperature. It is something that her last doctor told us she would never be able to do. She is still doing that." Crosby said, trying to grasp onto anything to keep Joelle around.

"And I have no explanation for that, other than that it is a miracle from God. You guys prayed for a miracle, and maybe that was what he gave us."

"No, I refuse to believe that." Edgar said, shaking his head. He yearned for a cigarette at that point, but took out a piece of gum instead. "Our miracle is still coming."

Dr. Watson took a deep breath.

"We can give it another 24 hours. If there is no improvement again, we have to declare her brain dead. I don't want to do that, but I legally have too by that point."

"And then what?" Sig asked, knowing the answer.

"How about we have that conversation when it comes to that point. No need to have it now."

Crosby felt like he was going to be sick at that point. He turned back to Joelle, tears burning in his eyes, as he grabbed her hand. He laid his forehead on her hand, taking a deep breath as he fought the tears back.

"Cros, I need fresh air. Why don't you come out with me." Edgar suggested.

Crosby nodded, standing up. He gave Joelle a kiss on the forehead, whispering 'I love you' to her. He then followed Edgar downstairs. As they walked outside, June and Linda passed by then. Linda was about to ask how Joelle was, but opted against it when she saw their faces, knowing they didn't get good news.

"I'm not ready to give her up." Crosby said after lighting a cigarette. "I never will be."

"None of us ever will be." Edgar said, shaking his head.

The two of them sat in silence, both praying to themselves that the nightmare would end, and Joelle would wake up.

After a long silence, Crosby's phone signaled that it had received a text message. He ignored it, not wanting to talk to anybody at that point. Crosby dug out his cigarettes, wanting to have another, when he heard his phone start to ring. He signed, groaning, reaching in his pocket to hit ignore. Almost immediately, Edgar's phone started to ring as well. Just when Edgar was about to hit ignore on his phone, Crosby's phone started to ring again.

"What the hell?" Crosby said, pulling his phone out. He saw Sig was calling him.

"Linda's calling me." Edgar said, making a weird face.

"What?" Crosby asked, answering Sig.

"Hurry up here!" Sig yelled over the phone.

Edgar and Crosby both look at each other, and then ran back inside the hospital. They both bypassed the elevators, opting to take the stairs, and flew up them faster than they knew they could take the stairs, and ran into Joelle's room. They saw her having what looked like to be a seizure.

"What's going on?" Crosby yelled when he saw Dr. Watson and a few nurses around her, attending to what was going on.

"I don't know! They won't answer me." June said, in tears.

"Is she seizuring again?" Doesn't that mean there is brain activity?" Crosby asked, never realizing that he would be happy to see a seizure.

Everyone watched as the doctor remove Joelle's breathing tube, and as soon as he did, Joelle calmed down, and Crosby saw something that he thought he would never see again.

"She's breathing on her own." June said softly to herself.

"What's going on?" Sig finally demanded after Joelle seemed comfortable and the doctor was done with Joelle.

"I don't know. I know that's not what you want to hear, but all of a sudden, she decided to breathe on her own. I'm going to run another series of tests to find out what is going on, but this is a huge step right now."

"That's Joelle for you. You tell her that it's the end, and she fights back with vengeance." Edgar said with a smile.

"Is she awake?" Crosby asked, when he saw what looked like to be Joelle's eyes slightly open. He rushed to her side, grabbing her hand, as he sat on her bed. "Joelle, it's me."

She didn't respond. Her eyes were cracked open, but she wasn't responding to anything going on in the room.

"I will have someone come soon for her to take her for more testing. Once I know what is going on, you will definitely know." Dr. Watson said, then left the room quickly.

"Joelle, you are doing great. Keep fighting. Come back to me, please." Crosby said quietly, his forehead resting against hers.

It wasn't long before one of the interns had arrived to take Joelle away. Everyone stood out of the way while they wheeled Joelle's bed out of the room.

Everyone at that point sat around the room with a new found hope of recovery. There were smiles on everyone's face, something that hadn't been seen in weeks. Joelle was gone for a couple hours before she was brought back.

"Once we have the results, the doctor will be right in with you." The intern said to them before leaving the room.

"Doesn't she look better?" Edgar asked, smiling as he watched his niece. "She has color in her face.

"We need to not rush things here. She's still not awake. Yes, if it is possible, she looks a lot better than she has been looking, but she isn't out of the woods by any means." Linda said, bringing everyone back to reality.

"But there is hope now. A few hours ago, we were thinking about pulling the plug on her. Now look at her. She is breathing on her own." Edgar said, a big smile on his face.

Crosby smiled, holding Joelle's hand as he watched her face. He was ignoring what everyone was saying, and kept to himself. He was in his own world as he studied her face. He thought he saw her eyes flicker, but ignored it, thinking it was his imagination again. He gently squeezed her hand, taking a deep breath. He then felt Joelle's finger move. He knew what he felt wasn't his imagination.

"Joelle?" He asked quietly, moving closer to her. "You awake?"

He almost screamed out in joy when he saw her eyes open slowly. He jumped, sitting up straight in his seat, and everyone at that point noticed what was going on, and all surrounded the bed, wanting Joelle to know they were there for her, and it was okay.

"Joelle, baby, how are you feeling?"

Joelle glanced at Crosby, then moved her eyes to the rest of her family, and fear was in her eyes. She didn't know what was going on, and why her whole body hurt, or why she was in the hospital.

"We've missed you so much." Sig said, relief filling his body, as he grabbed Joelle's other hand. She watched him out of the corner of her eyes, no energy to move her head at all. She then turned back to Crosby, then tried to talk.

"Don't talk. You just rest. There will be plenty of time for that later." Crosby said, kissing the back of Joelle's hand.

She tried to talk again, the words not coming out very well.

"Try wetting her lips. They look extremely dry." June said.

Linda grabbed some ice and wetted her lips with it. Joelle pursed her lips together, the liquid soothing her dry lips immediately.

"How's that?" Crosby asked.

Joelle took a deep breath, looking back at him.

"Now what were you trying to say?"

"Who…" She said, but ran out of breath. Her voice was very dry and gravely, sore from the tube that was providing her life support for the past few weeks.

"Who's what baby?" He asked.

"Who are you?" She whispered to him, looking very confused.

The room fell silent.

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There you have it! PLEASE review! I would GREATLY appreciate it! :)


	14. Chapter 14

As I promised, another update. Hope to have a little more time to write this week, so hopefully will have at least one, if not two, more updates in the next few days. Hope you all are enjoying the story still. Please review to tell me what you think! :)

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Sam and Matt sat in the wheelhouse as they drove to the beginning of their first string they were going to pull. The pots that they had set before leaving town had some very good numbers on them, and it was as if God had decided to give them a break after everything they had been through.

"What do you think about the chick?" Sam asked, smiling at Matt.

"She does keep up with us in a way, but she's no Joelle. I'd rather have Joelle back."

"I know you guys do. She's your family. We just need to know if we have to dump her or not when we get back to town." Sam said, getting straight to the point.

"Can we do that, with the contract with Discovery?"

"You guys didn't sign shit. The Time Bandit did."

Matt nodded.

"We will test her out through the whole trip. At least her cooking isn't horrible. Get's me out of that chore at least."

"Well, get the guys rounded up. We're almost there."

Matt walked downstairs to the galley where everyone was trying to catch a few minutes of sleep, but Matt brought them back to reality.

"Time to get back out there girls." Matt said, smiling at them.

Everyone drug themselves towards the wet room and got their rain gear on before heading outside. Nobody was into the season anymore, and wanted it all to just end, and Katrina wasn't helping their mood at all.

"Can I try to throw the hook at all?" Katrina asked.

"No time." Matt said, lighting a cigarette before heading towards the side of the boat.

"How do you figure there is no time?" She asked. "We have all the time in the world out here."

"I don't know about you, but we want nothing to do with anything out here. We want to finish and get home, and slowing down to let you 'attempt' the hook is absurd. It's not happening." Matt spat out, getting angry.

"How did Joelle learn? You guys are way too easy on her. Why am I getting shit on here?"

"Joelle earned her spot on this boat. You got on this boat because we were desperate. No way, in a million years, would you be allowed on this boat under normal circumstances."

"Joelle earned her spot because of who her uncles are. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been given a chance either. You guys have her up on this pedestal and don't see the real her."

"What do you mean by that?" Nick asked, confused as to what she was saying.

"Would you have even given her a chance if she wasn't related to the Hansen's? No. She would have been just another chick, and would have been considered bad luck on a boat. I know how it is. I wouldn't have been on this boat if it weren't for my uncle."

"You're uncle?"

"Yes, my uncle. Thom Beers."

"I get it now. No way that the producers would have done this if it was any normal chick."

"No, my uncle wouldn't have put me on here if I didn't deserve to be here. I have worked my ass off to get here. I have worked out, practiced, and everything to prove to you guys that I deserve to be here, and all that I have heard was 'Joelle is better'. I don't give a shit about that bitch. She only got here because of who her uncles are."

"Get off my deck!" Nick yelled, angry at this point.

"It's not your deck to throw me off of. The only guys that can throw me off aren't even on this boat."

"When they are gone, us three are boss. Get the fuck off our deck." Matt said, advancing towards her.

"You guys are just pissed because you know it is true."

"The hell it is! That girl can outrun this boat against you any day. If she was awake, and well, she would show you up in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, well, lucky for me, she is on her deathbed, huh?" She said with a smirk.

Jake threw something at her, hitting her upside her head. It caught her off guard, and the anger in Jake's face made Katrina know to not say a word.

"Get off the deck." Jake said through his teeth as he clenched his jaw.

Katrina walked off deck quietly. The guys were shaking with anger at that point, not even able to focus when Sam told them the first pot was upon them.

"Guys!" Sam yelled through the hailer. "Ignore her, and let's get this shit going so we can get back to Joelle, got it?"

The guys reluctantly went to work, Matt throwing the hook without even paying attention to where the pot was really at, and missing it horribly. He was just angry, and threw the hook to get his frustration out. When he got it back in his hand, he threw the hook and brought the pot in successfully.

The three guys worked slowly, but they didn't care. The mood on deck was better than when Katrina was on deck, and they didn't care how long it took them to work as a three man crew. After a few hours, Sam called for them to come up to the wheelhouse.

The three guys went inside, walking through the galley where Katrina was making them dinner, and headed straight up to the wheelhouse.

"What's up?" Jake asked, leaning against the counter.

Sam held the SAT phone up, and they heard Sig say, "Hey guys."

"Hey Sig." Everyone said, immediately anxious as to what Sig was calling for.

"How is she?" Matt asked, not wanting to drag the conversation out. He wanted to know only one thing, how Joelle was doing.

"I got something for you to listen too." He said.

The guys looked at each other, confused. Not one of them were expecting to hear what was going to be said on the phone next.

"Hey guys." Joelle said softly. Her voice was soft, and scratchy, but they knew immediately it was her.

"Joelle!" They all said in unison, all relieved to hear her voice.

"You catching the crab while I'm not there?" She asked.

"Yes, we are, but we certainly do miss you." Nick said, tears in his eyes by that point.

"I miss you guys too. I'm ready to be out there now."

The guys laughed.

"You just focus on getting your energy back, and getting better. That's all we want out of you now." Jake said.

The phone was silent at that point.

"Joelle, you okay?" Matt asked.

"Who was that?" She asked.

"It was Junior."

"Who's Junior?" She asked. They could tell she wasn't asking them, but to Sig who was sitting not far from her.

The guys in the wheelhouse looked at each other, confused as to what was going on.

"Hey guys." Sig said on the phone.

"What's going on?" Matt asked.

"She has lost her memory. She doesn't have any recollection as to what has gone on the past four to five years."

"But she remembers fishing?" Nick asked. "She was just starting out about that time."

"Yeah, she does remember that." He said. "However, she doesn't remember a lot of things."

"I guess that can be expected…" Jake said, trailing off.

"But it's improvement. She was almost considered brain dead a couple days ago. Now, she's awake and talking. We don't know the extent of her brain damage yet, but she is lucid. More than the doctor was ever expecting out of her. We are taking one day at a time, but we are all definitely relieved."

"A huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders. You have no idea." Nick said, smiling.

"Just tell her to get her ass out of bed and start kicking this shits ass so she can be back on this boat with us." Matt jokingly said to Sig.

"I will definitely give her that message." Sig said with a smile.

The guys hung up the phone, and the spirit on the boat was almost immediately lifted. They all headed back outside, walking through the galley. Katrina watched the guys walk through, keeping as quiet as possible.

Jake stopped at the edge of the counter, then turned to Katrina.

"I guess you didn't get what you wished for." Jake said, a smirk on his face.

"What do you mean?" She asked, watching him with a weary eye.

"Joelle is awake, and knowing her, as soon as she hears that you are on this boat, she will be here to kick your ass out of here, and put you right where you belong."

Jake left at that moment, and Katrina made a face. It was the exact opposite of what she had hoped she would hear.

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There you have it. Again, please review! :)


	15. Chapter 15

Another day, another update. I hope to update again in the next couple days. Thanks again for the reviews, and PLEASE keep them coming! :)

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"It's something that we have heard about, but have not actually seen before. It was as if her brain has rebooted and this is the end results." Dr. Watson said to Sig, June, Norman, Linda, Edgar, and Crosby. They were all in a conference room discussing the condition of Joelle, and what to expect from then on.

"I just don't get it. You told us that her brain was showing no activity just an hour before this all happened. How could that be?" Sig asked.

"We cannot explain it. Think of it as a computer. It isn't working very well, if at all, due to a virus of some sort. It then does nothing, and it is dead in the water. This was the point that Joelle was at when we almost declared her brain dead. You have it rebooted and restored, and it is restored to a point where it was awhile back, but it was the last point that your computer was saved at. Joelle remembers nothing from the past few years, and the only thing to do to help bring her back to where she was is to help put things into her brain to help her remember. Does that make sense at all?" Dr. Watson asked.

"I guess. What if she never remembers?" Edgar asked.

"Then you have to keep trying. She could get her memory back in a few hours, or a few days or weeks. It could even take months or years. The brain is a very complicated thing. And like I have said before, we have never seen something like this happen before in this hospital, much less this state. We are extremely happy with the outcome in this case, but we cannot tell you much about what to expect unfortunately. Just need to take things one day at a time right now."

"What about the fact that she cannot walk. She can barely lift her arms." June asked, everything still sinking in with her.

"She has no muscle mass from being bed ridden for the past few weeks. She will be undergoing strict physical therapy to help build up the muscles that she had lost. She may be in a wheelchair for a little while, but I have high hopes that she will be walking again normally in a few weeks."

Crosby sat quietly throughout the meeting. The fact that Joelle still didn't remember him was killing him inside. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and just talk to her. He missed her, and as of right now, she wouldn't say a word to him. Every time they tell her that she is engaged to Crosby, she looks at everyone like they are crazy, which breaks his heart. He felt as if he had lost his best friend.

After the meeting ended, everyone headed back towards Joelle's room. She was awake, staring at the television, but she looked exhausted.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Sig asked, sitting down next to her bed.

"Alright." She said quietly. Her voice was coming back, but it was still very soft, which was highly unusual for her. She was normally a very loud and direct person, but it was something that everyone had loved about her.

"How was physical therapy?" June asked. It was where Joelle was during their meeting with the doctor, which had lasted a lot longer than anyone had planned.

"Tiring. I can't wait to be done with it and be back to normal." She said, a small smile on her face.

"The faster you get your energy back, the sooner we get to take you home." Sig said, smiling.

"I've been wanting to ask something, but have kept forgetting." She asked.

"What's that?" Edgar asked.

"Where's Mom? And have we heard from Daniel lately? Is he okay overseas?"

Everyone was quiet, and looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

"What? Larry do something again? He won't let Mom anywhere near me again? Same bullshit, different day." She said, sighing.

"Um, Joelle, we don't know the best way to say this…" Sig said, taking her hand in his.

"What?" She asked, looking at him with confusion on her face.

"It has been a few years now, but something had happened to your Mom."

"What? She's okay, right?"

Sig shook his head slowly, not really wanting to say the words that was going to break his nieces' heart again. He remembered everything she went through before, and didn't want it to happen again.

"Let me guess, she's dead. I hope the bastard rots in jail." She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Well, we are pretty sure he is rotting in hell." Linda said, shaking her head.

"What?"

"Larry shot your mother, then took his own life." Sig explained, shaking his head.

"And this happened a few years ago? Why can't I remember?" She asked, crying by this point. She went to raise her hand to wipe away the tears, but she physically couldn't do it. She turned her head and wiped her cheek against her pillow instead. "What did Daniel say?"

Sig looked over at Edgar, then glanced at Crosby, who looked sick to his stomach by this point.

"Daniel took it pretty bad." He said.

"Well, I hope he's almost done overseas. I miss him." She said, shaking her head.

"Joelle, we have something else we need to tell you." Sig said, forcing a small smile on his face to try to tell her that everything was going to be okay.

"What?" She asked. "Don't even tell me he died in combat over there."

"He actually took his own life after hearing what Larry did." He said softly. He didn't want to tell her, but didn't want to hold back either. She had to know, and not telling her would only delay what was to come.

"He left me?" She cried softly. "Why would he do that?"

Sig just shook his head.

"Who else is dead? Anybody else that I am close too? Shit, I lost my parents and brother. What else happened?"

"Nobody else is gone." Sig answered, squeezing Joelle's hand in comfort.

"I'm living in a nightmare. I can't even sit up in this bed without falling down, and I can't even hoist myself up when I do slide down." She said, glancing down at her slouched body.

"You will get better sooner or later. It is just going to take time." Edgar said, helping his niece sit back up.

"And I'm determined to get out of this bed as fast as I can. I can't even move my arms at this point. I feel as if I'm a prisoner in my own body."

"You have to be patient. I know that isn't a strong suit of yours, but you have to try." Edgar said with a smile.

"We're going to go and let you rest, alright? You need to sleep a little before they take you for another round of physical therapy."

She nodded, watching her family and Crosby leave. She watched as Crosby wouldn't even look her in the eye. Even though she couldn't remember a thing about him, she felt bad for him. He still came every day, in hopes that Joelle would remember, but she had no recollection of him.

Joelle closed her eyes, listening to the television in the background, and took a deep breath. Her body ached, but it was starting to be numb to her. She sighed when she felt her side itch, but when she tried to move her arm, she was unsuccessful. She was starting to get fed up with the fact that she couldn't do anything on her own anymore.

"Are you awake?" Someone said quietly looking in the room.

Joelle cracked her eyes open, wanting to know who it was before she revealed that she was, truly, awake. The sight of Kendra made her tear up, as she opened her eyes.

"I am so sorry it took me so long to get here." Kendra said, running to the side of the bed, sitting on it.

"I have missed you so much." Joelle said softly through her tears.

"How are you feeling? You look exhausted."

"I am. Physical therapy is kicking my ass, and I can only move my hands, feet, and fingers. I feel as if I will never get better."

"You will. I know you will. You woke up after everyone said you were never going to be brain dead for the rest of your life. You did the unimaginable. I know you will come around fully."

"I am determined to at least get in a wheelchair, even if that ends up being the best I will get. I overheard one of my therapists say they don't know if I will ever walk again."

"Don't let them discourage you. You will get up, back to shaking your ass with me on the dance floor, and catching that crab on the Northwestern with your family. I know it'll happen."

"I hope." Joelle said, sighing. "When I do get out of this hospital, I'm gonna' have to make a trip to LA to visit you and everyone. Get my mind off of everything for awhile."

"Definitely. Little Hank would love to have you around."

Joelle glanced at Kendra, confused.

"Who in the hell is little Hank?"

"What do you mean by that? It's my son. You're his godmother."

"Say what? You have a kid?" She asked, surprised.

"Oh, right. Sig did tell me your lost your memory. I guess I was hoping that you would have it back by now."

Joelle was quiet, looking at Kendra, dumbfounded.

"Let me show you." She said, taking a few pictures out of her purse that was sitting on the chair by the bed. "Here is Little Hank, with his dad."

Joelle looked at the pictures that Kendra brought, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Aww, Joelle, don't feel bad…"

"I don't feel bad. I am just so happy for you. You look so happy. I just always thought I'd be married before you ever would be."

Kendra laughed.

"We all did." She said, smiling at her friend.

"I want to meet them."

"They are at the hotel. They didn't want to bombard you all at once with all of us, plus the baby was a little fussy. Didn't know if you would even be up for visitors or not."

"I am always up for you to come and see me. You don't ever have to worry about me telling you to leave."

Kendra smiled, then looked down at her hands.

"What's wrong?" Joelle asked.

"Seeing you right now is a huge sigh of relief." She said.

Joelle frowned.

"I was hearing everything on the news, and then what your uncles were telling me. I really was thinking the worst. As much of a fighter that I know you are, I was really scared. I couldn't even come visit you when you were in the coma. I didn't want to remember you that way."

"I'm going to be okay though." Joelle said, smiling. She tried to move her arm to grab her friends' hand, but she failed miserably. Even though she said she was going to be okay, she didn't know how much she believed it herself.

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There you have it. Again, please keep the reviews coming! :)


	16. Chapter 16

Another day, another update. I absolutely LOVE the reviews I have been getting. Please keep them coming! :)

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A few days later, Kendra was at the hospital with her husband and child, and so was a few of Joelle's closest friends. She was tired, but needed to see her friends to help get her mind off of things.

"When you get out, we need to have another bonfire. It hasn't been the same without you around." Charissa said, smiling at Joelle.

"If you want to push my ass in a wheelchair, give me a couple weeks. I will be there." Joelle said with a smile.

"How's the boat? I had been meaning to ask. Isn't most of the fleet back by now?" Ryan asked. He was taking more and more of an interest in the fishing business, especially since his job seemed to be more and more on the line each year.

"From what I understand, the Northwestern is the only boat still out there. Hopefully they will be done soon. I want to see the guys. I miss them."

"Has any of the other guys stopped by to see you yet?"

"No. They haven't quite finished up there, doing last minute things before heading home. Have to make sure their boats are safe and secure and ready for Opie season. They should be in town any time now though. I would love to have enough strength to be on the boat by then, even if it was to just hang out and watch, or possibly learn what Sig does. I don't have to be on deck, because I know my uncles will be 100% against it at this point, but I would love to still go out and be with them."

"Do you think they would take me out for a spin, just to see if I could do it?" Ryan asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" His wife angrily asked.

"Rumor has it, I'm being axed at the end of the month anyway. I'd be ready to go out. They wouldn't have to pay me if I did a shitty job, but if I did well, and they didn't want to kill me, then they could pay me whatever they normally pay a greenhorn."

Joelle contemplated it for a moment.

"I mean, they are down a person, aren't they?" He asked.

"I guess, since I'm not around. I mean, they have that kid Jake, but I think he was there when I was around. And then they have some chick on board now filling in to help since Edgar, Norman, and myself are gone. I mean, it's worth bringing up to them."

"Can you put a bug in their ear?" He asked.

"You know if I were to go to them, they would immediately dismiss you out. You need to go to them first. Otherwise, you are shit out of luck."

"I am still wondering in what world you think I'd be okay with this." Jackie asked her husband.

"Hun, we need money when I lose my job. You and I both know it is coming. I am just looking out for us."

Little Hank started to fuss a little, causing everyone to forget about the conversation at hand.

"So, where is Crosby at?" Hank asked, looking around the room. "I thought he was part of this group too."

"I don't know. I think he's home, taking a break from the hospital." Joelle said, slightly shrugging her shoulders.

"Do you not remember him at all?" Lindsay asked.

Joelle shook her head slightly.

"We brought pictures." Charissa said, watching her husband Eric bring out the photo album. Charissa sat on the bed next to her friend and opened the book up.

"Oh wow, look at how much we have all changed. But this is how I remember everyone." Joelle said, smiling at the pictures. "I wanted to say how different you all looked, but I knew that I was the one who was crazy, so kept quiet."

"Here is the first night that you met Crosby." Charissa said, pointing to a picture of their group at a bar, and Joelle and Crosby were sitting next to each other. She looked at it for a moment.

"I do kind of remember that night." She said. "I thought his name was Cory."

"Nope, it's Crosby himself. It was the beginning of your guys' friendship. You two were inseparable after that."

"I just don't know what to say to him." Joelle confessed. "I mean, he thinks of me one way, and I don't even know the guy. I feel awkward when he is here, but don't want to say anything to him."

"You two have a shit ton in common. Just talk to him, and things will start flowing out."

"Yeah, maybe…" She said, trailing off.

Jackie looked at her watch, then stood up.

"The kids are getting out of school here soon, and we gotta' go pick them up. Plus, me and Ryan, by the sounds of it, are going to be having quite the talk here on the way to the school."

Ryan shrugged his shoulders, walking over to Joelle. He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"You get your strength up quick. We miss you." He said, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Ry." She said, smiling at him.

"We gotta' go too." Charissa said, as her and Eric stood up.

"And we have to catch our flight." Kendra said, making a face.

"I am so glad you guys came to visit me. I may not remember you Hank, but I can already tell how perfect you are for Kendra."

"I definitely appreciate that." Hank said, smiling at her.

Joelle watched as her friends slowly left the hospital room, and as sad as she was to see them leave, she was exhausted. She was able to lift her arms, but only enough to lay them on her stomach, but even that was a task.

"Hey gorgeous." Someone said, walking into her room. She opened her eyes, unwillingly, but was pleased when she saw Jonathan, Neil, and Andy walk into her room.

"Hey, how are my sexy men?" She asked with a smile.

"Very happy to see you awake." Andy said, giving Joelle a kiss on the cheek in greeting.

"You look great." Jonathan said, giving her a kiss on the cheek as well.

"I'm tired, and weak still, but I'm getting there. I can move my lower arms now, which is a huge improvement from a few days ago."

"Babe, we are just happy to see you alive." Neil said with a smile.

"Do you guys know what happened to me? My uncles won't tell me." She asked, getting quiet.

"Nope, not a clue." Jonathan said, shaking his head. "We just know it was pretty bad."

"Honestly, gorgeous, I wasn't expecting to come back to you being alive." Andy added, shaking his head.

Joelle frowned at the comment.

"But hey, why are we talking about bad shit. We are here to celebrate."

"Where are the rest of my favorite guys?" She asked.

"Mike, Scotty, and Eddie should be here soon. We all finished up there yesterday, and you were the first place we wanted to go." Neil said, smiling at her.

"Even before your own families?"

"Yeah. They know where we are. They understand. They know we are heading home after this. That's all that matters." Jonathan said.

"You guys are too much."

Before they knew it, the rest of the guys walked into the room, all smiles when they saw that Joelle was awake.

"Joelle, where have you been all my life?" Mike asked, giving her a kiss on the cheek, then took a seat next to her on the bed.

"Stuck in this bed, unable to get up." She said, smiling at her friend. "How are you guys?" She glanced at Scotty, not sure as to who he was, but she didn't say a word, knowing by the way he was looking at her, she should know who he was.

"We're doing great. The season was shit, but it's over. That's all that matters." Eddie said.

"Our minds were everywhere but on the job." Scotty said, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

Joelle watched him, and she glanced over at the Hillstrands, and she figured that he was one of them, by the way he looked. She figured it was one of Neil or Jonathan's sons, but wasn't sure which one.

"When are these guys releasing your ass? You need to get better to get out for opies. Need to get that little shit off your boat as soon as we can."

"Who are you talking about? That guy Jake I heard about? I thought he wasn't that bad?" Joelle asked.

"No, that chick Katrina that they have on board helping them. She's bad news."

Joelle frowned at the comment.

"Nobody will tell me about her. Is she really that bad?"

"She has some grudge against you for some reason. The sooner you get on that boat, the better. She needs put in her place."

"Why is she even on the boat then if she is so against me? I don't see my uncles agreeing to that."

"Yeah, I kind of tricked her way onto the boat." Jonathan said, smiling a little.

"Why'd you do that?"

"They needed help, and we wanted her gone. Seemed like the perfect time to pawn her off. Hated doing it, but I knew you guys needed the help."

Joelle frowned.

"I just have one question." Joelle said.

"What's that?" Mike asked.

"Could I take her?"

"Oh yes, definitely. No questions asked. May not want to try now when you are bedridden, but when you are back to normal, definitely."

Joelle smiled at the comment.

"Then I will just have to work harder to getting back on my boat. The bitch is going down." She said with an evil smile.

"Hey, you may not remember shit, but you still have the attitude I love. My bitch is back!" Andy said with a grin.

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There you have it! Please keep them reviews coming! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Hey everyone. I am soooooooooo sorry for the long delay in an update. I have been in the process of moving in with my boyfriend across country, and I haven't had access (and still really don't) to a computer with internet to upload chapters. I have been slowly working on the story with as little time that I do have. But here you go, an update!

I hope you enjoy, and I will try my best to update soon. Please review, as always. I absolutely love that you are all enjoying this story as much as I am! :)

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A couple weeks later, Sig wheeled his niece into his house, where she was welcomed by her entire family in the living room. She was just coming home from the hospital, and she couldn't be more thrilled to be finally going home after the long stay. She was still unable to walk, but she could move all of her limbs, and sit up on her own, which she was more than pleased with.

"I'm so glad that you are finally home." Nina said, giving her cousin a hug.

"I'm happy to be here too. I have missed you guys."

"We have missed you too. Mom and Dad wouldn't let us come visit you in the hospital."

"I didn't want you guys to see me that way. But I am finally on the mend. That's all that matters."

"Would you like something to drink?" June asked Joelle, smiling at her.

"Just some water."

Sig wheeled Joelle to a spot in the room that was facing the circle of chairs that was in the living room. Edgar was sitting next to her, sipping on his beer that he was drinking.

"So, where is it exactly do I live? I mean, I must not own the apartment anymore."

"No, we got rid of that crap awhile ago." Sig said, shaking his head as he took a seat on the couch.

"So, where do I live?"

"You live with your fiancé." Edgar said, shrugging his shoulders.

Joelle was quiet.

"Where is he anyway?" She asked.

"He didn't feel comfortable coming, since you still won't talk to him." Norman answered.

"I don't know what to say to him. I don't know who he is at all. It's just weird to me."

"We're not going to worry about that today. We are just going to enjoy you being home, and eat the wonderful dinner June is putting together." Linda said, smiling.

"I know what we can talk about. About Opie season." Joelle said with a smile.

"You are not going anywhere near that deck." Edgar said, shaking his head.

"I don't want to go on deck. I can barely stand, much less work on the deck of the boat. I do, however, if I am able to walk in a couple weeks when it is time to leave, want to go on the boat to just hang out. You know, in the wheelhouse, help cook…"

"No way." The three guys said, interrupting her.

"Or not cook. I just want to be there. You know, learn about what you do up in the wheelhouse Sig. I mean, I know I cannot be on deck. I'm nowhere near able to get on deck. But I want to just be on the boat."

Sig just stared at his niece.

"Please? And being on the boat would probably be good physical therapy. The rocking of the boat will help with my balance."

"I know you though. You did it before your accident. You lie about being okay to go on that deck when you clearly shouldn't."

"I am openly admitting that I should not be on that deck. I just can't sit in this house while you guys are out there. I will go crazy."

"We will see how much strength you have when the time comes for us to leave." Sig said.

"So there is a chance." She asked with a smile.

"Don't get your hopes up, darlin'. I haven't said yes yet."

"But you haven't said no, either." She said, grinning at her uncle.

"You know you're going to give in, Dad. You always do." Mandy said, smiling at her dad from her spot on the floor she was sitting at.

"Yeah, you always give in to her. Why don't we get what we want?"

"Oh hush, you know you girls get away with just as much." June said, smiling at her daughters.

Joelle looked outside at the snow falling, and she closed her eyes, taking in everything.

"What's up?" Edgar asked Joelle quietly.

"Can we go outside? I haven't had a cigarette in how long, and I am aching to have one, and I just want to be outside for a moment."

"You really want to give in, after a couple months of not having one?"

"You have no idea."

He smiled, standing up, and he pushed her outside to the back porch. With as cold as it was, Joelle didn't care. She leaned her head back, and looked up at the sky as the snow fell in her face. Edgar watched her quietly as she closed her eyes, a smile on her face.

"This is just perfect to me." She said softly. "I am so happy to be here right now."

"As are we." He responded, handing her a cigarette.

"Do you think I will ever remember anything?" She asked.

"I sure hope so. I want you back to normal, so I don't have to retrain you on everything. I want to pass the reins to you."

Joelle gave him a confused look.

"I've done a lot of thinking since you got hurt. Life is just way too short, and I want to spend it with my family, not on a boat."

"You love being out there though. You were meant to be on that boat."

"Maybe I wasn't?" He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It sure wouldn't be the same without you on there with me."

He smiled at her.

"It isn't happening this year. Definitely won't happen until either you are fully better, or I find someone else to do my job. Right now, you are the one to take over my spot. You're the best on that boat. We all know it."

"That's a lot coming from you. I am just bait bitch though. What do I know?"

"You haven't been bait bitch in awhile, princess. You run the rail a lot now. Sometimes throw the hook, depending on if Matt wants to give up his spot or not."

"Can I run hydraulics?" She asked.

"Now, or before you lost your memory?" He joked.

"Before I lost it." She said with a smile.

"You definitely could. The only thing you couldn't do on the boat was what Sig does."

"To be captain would be amazing." Joelle said, smiling as she took a drag of her cigarette. The cold was starting to hit her at that point, but she didn't care.

"It's what you always said, until you and Crosby got to be so serious."

"That doesn't sound like me. Was he changing me?"

"Not at all, Joelle. You and him were perfect for each other. We couldn't ask for a better guy for you."

"How is that true? He must not understand how important fishing is to me. He must not fish himself then."

"He fishes. He works on the Wizard. Has for a few year now. You actually got him the job on the boat."

Joelle was silent.

"You would know all of this though already if you would just talk to him."

"What if I never remember him, though? What if he is hanging onto something that will never happen again?"

"You will remember him. I know it is just a matter of time."

She nodded, staring out at the backyard.

Just then, Joelle heard the sliding glass door open. She turned and saw Crosby standing in the doorway.

"Hey, how's it going?" Edgar asked, smiling at him.

"Just dropped off some of Joelle's things." He said, looking over at her. She was looking back out at the open yard, watching the snow fall.

"Thanks. You staying for dinner?" He asked.

"Nah. I'll let you guys enjoy. I have plans actually." He said.

"You know you are always welcome here. You are family." Edgar said to him softly.

Crosby smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Joelle, you coming in?" Edgar asked, putting his cigarette in the pot that sat by the door.

"In a minute." She answered.

Crosby and Edgar turned to walk inside, but Crosby was stopped by Joelle asking him to stay. He glanced at Edgar, who just shrugged his shoulders. He shut the door behind him, and took the seat that Edgar had been sitting in next to Joelle.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, glancing over at her. She never really said much to him, and was surprised she even wanted to talk to him.

"I'm alright. Tired, but I'm getting there." She said.

"You look good." He hadn't seen her in about a week at that point, afraid to go near her anymore.

"Thanks." She said.

Silence filled the air between them, and Crosby began to wonder what she had wanted him to stay around for.

"I need to say something, but I don't want to hurt your feelings in any way." She said, breaking the silence. His heart immediately dropped.

"Then don't say it." He said, shaking his head.

"I don't want your feelings to be hurt in any way. You seem like a great guy, but I really don't know if, or when, I will get my memory back. It's not fair to you to wait around in hopes that I will all of a sudden remember you."

Crosby was silent, afraid as to what she was getting too.

"You deserve to be happy, not as sad and depressed as you have been the past couple of months. You don't deserve it, and you don't deserve how I've acted around you lately."

"Then don't act that way. We can start out slow, just talking, and getting to know each other again. It's how we got to where we were before."

"I don't know if I can do that though. You know everything about me, and I know nothing about you. It kind of kills the romance out of it, don't you think?"

Crosby shook his head in disgust. He wasn't happy with what she was saying at all, and he was heartbroken.

"Obviously we had something very special. I am not denying this at all, but maybe we should both do our own thing until I start to remember. Hopefully, though, you will find happiness before that happens."

"And what if you are my happiness?"

"What if I'm not?" She asked, looking right at him at that point.

Crosby pursed his lips, hiding back the tears that he had been fighting since the beginning of the conversation. He stood up, shaking his head, then stuck his hand in his pocket, pulling out Joelle's ring. He then set it on her knee.

"You are the only one who that belongs too. Hopefully one day you will wear it again, but if you really truly feel the way you do, you can do what you wish with it. I don't want it."

With that, Crosby left. Joelle slowly picked up the ring and looked at it. It was beautiful, and sparkled, and Joelle sighed as she looked at it. She stuck it in her pocket, then wheeled herself back inside.

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There you go. thanks again in advance for the reviews! :)


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